SMART LABELLING
are poised to transform industries like fashion, retail and consumer goods.” Peter Holland, regional sales manager, Northern Europe, Jarltech Europe GmbH, says that at Jarltech UK, they are seeing a clear shift in how businesses manage their supply chains. “Everyone, from manufacturers to retailers and end customers now expect more detail and more frequent updates on the movement of goods,” he says. “To meet these expectations, many organisations are turning to smart labels, particularly those powered by RFID technology. Unlike traditional barcodes, RFID labels can be scanned without line of sight and in bulk, making them highly efficient to track at every stage of the supply chain. “This shift is opening exciting opportunities for resellers. Smart label printers are increasingly in demand as businesses look to roll out RFID labelling at scale. Companies in logistics, retail, healthcare, and food distribution are seeking reliable, high-performance printers that can handle large volumes while integrating smoothly with their existing systems.” Sustainability and efficiency As well as looking for reliability and performance, sustainability and efficiency are uppermost in customers’ minds when making buying decisions. “Eco-friendly label materials, reduced waste and printers with lower consumable costs are now strong purchasing factors,” Peter explains. “Integration with cloud platforms and supply chain management software is becoming standard, ensuring that the data captured by smart labels feeds directly into broader business intelligence and reporting tools.” Simon adds that linerless labelling, for example, helps firms cut non-recyclable waste and avoid landfill charges of about £100 a tonne. “We’re also helping resellers meet customers’ demands for
Contributors
durability, with Brother label printers offering a three-year warranty as standard and TJ industrial models extended to five years – demonstrating our commitment to help firms reduce e-waste,” he adds. Neil Baker, head of auto ID Sales for Northern Europe at Bixolon Europe, adds that while RFID printing requires a higher initial outlay than traditional solutions, the overall cost of ownership is lower over time. “This is because RFID simplifies processes, reduces error rates to less than 0.5% compared with conventional barcode scanning and raises productivity,” he says. “Customers are also demanding solutions that work smoothly within their existing systems, delivering printed information and encoded RFID data that integrate directly with inventory software.” AI role Artificial intelligence (AI) is also playing an increasing role. “AI-driven analytics help organisations make sense of the vast amounts of data collected by RFID labels – predicting demand, optimising inventory and improving decision-making,” says Peter. “Printer manufacturers are embedding AI into devices themselves, enabling smarter calibration, error detection and real-time monitoring, which all contribute to reduced downtime and greater efficiency.” Simon adds that AI is beginning to influence labelling in ways that could reshape how operations run. “By analysing patterns in demand, it has the potential to trigger devices to print labels in the right quantities, just when they are required,” he says. “The same data could also support just-in-time ordering of supplies, while helping managers keep printer networks balanced and running efficiently. As AI’s role expands, the real differentiator will be simplicity. Operators’ trust in their processes will hinge on having systems that integrate smoothly, behave predictably and add value without unnecessary complexity.”
Simon Brennan
brother.co.uk
Bob Vines
emea.tscprinters.com
Peter Holland
jarltech.com
Neil Baker
bixoloneu.com
CONTINUED
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