Much of the general public first heard the term “supply chain” during the recent pandemic. Think back: people were isolated and researchers around the world were scrambling to develop ways to prevent and/or treat a completely novel, highly transmissible virus. Development and testing took place at an unprecedented pace. Mass production was ramped up and preparations were made to distribute the new vaccines that would save both lives and the world economy.
The challenge of distributing a new product from brand new factories to cities, towns, and villages of all sizes was made even more difficult by the fact that some of the vaccines needed to be transported and stored at extremely low temperatures until shortly before injection. In dramatic fashion, the civilian world came to appreciate a saying that military experts have known for centuries: “Amateurs talk tactics, professionals talk logistics.”
What does any of this have to do with output management? Everything.
Logistics and supply chain management requires close coordination of countless business processes linked by efficient transport mechanisms and constant communication between all stakeholders. Factories need to know about shrinking inventory levels early so they can adjust production levels. Documents and printed labels play a crucial role in communicating this information.
Wholesalers’ and retailers’ systems constantly update each other on the status of shipments as they make their way across the country or the globe. And even individual workers assembling shipments for a given order scan barcodes from pick lists, QR stickers, and RFID tags to ensure that the right goods get in the right box with the right label for shipment to the right customer. Right now.
LRS output management software ensures that the pick lists, barcode labels, shipping manifests, and other critical supply chain documents are printed in a reliably, timely, and cost-efficient manner. As an SAP administrator at a multi-billion-Euro hardware supplier recently told me: “When shipping labels on our six-kilometer-long packaging lines quit printing, packages back up and the line stops. If the delay lasts too long, 800 to 1000 workers will be standing around, unable to do their jobs.”
LRS solutions integrate with various warehouse management systems including SAP, Oracle, Manhattan, Blue Yonder, Infor, and CargoWise to prevent such delays from impacting operations. If a label printer fails, print jobs are seamlessly routed to a backup device and IT administrators are informed of the problem.
Why do the world’s largest manufacturers, shipping companies, and other logistics-related organizations use LRS software for this type of mission-critical output? Aside from a forty-year reputation for scalability and reliability, they know that LRS software offers a hardware- and OS-independent solution that will continue working as the customer’s IT environment migrates to new platforms or the cloud. LRS software also offers official integration with leading enterprise software packages and certified compatibility with all major print manufacturers’ devices.
It is said that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Given the multitude of software, hardware, consumables, and human elements involved in printing, establishing a robust, time-tested output management system is a wise investment in the continuity of your critical business processes.