Optimization of warehouse management through electronic shelf labels
As the largest European supplier in the field of plain bearing technology, the product portfolio of GLT Bearings GmbH comprises around 20,000 standardized items, of which 4.5 million parts are located in the main warehouse in Munich. In order to optimally prepare the articles at the Munich location, e-shelf-labels supports GTL Bearings in the area of warehouse management with 5,000 pieces of G1 Retail Labels from SES-imagotag.
More flexibility and precision with G1 Retail Label
The use of the G1 Retail Label 2.7 has optimized GLT Bearings' warehouse management by enabling more flexibility. It is now possible for GLT's employees to always read the current stock level of the respective item on the electronic label. In addition, further elements are possible via the data matrix code and scanner with adapted software, such as:
- Information about additional storage locations
- Retrieval of additional information about the article
- Stock transfers and removal of articles
Since many articles in the area of plain bearing technology at GLT are so similar that it is not possible to distinguish them with the naked eye, error-free identification on the corresponding label is important. Here, the electronic labels from e-shelf-labels are the optimal solution.
Interface between merchandise management system and label
Our goal at e-shelf-labels is to optimally adapt the digital price labels to the company's own software. Our standards are always high in this regard. The challenge in working with GLT Bearings was to get quantity data, article information and the relevant LabelID from their ERP system Microsoft Dynamics NAV delivered in a timely manner. Using customized software with a powerful and efficient infrastructure and the expertise of our team, an interface was created with the ERP system so that the data could be displayed on the labels. The interface allows the electronic label displays to be managed and modified quickly, easily and reliably. In GLT Bearings' warehouse, the labels display item ID's, quantities and a data matrix. This allows the contents of the small load carriers to be identified directly.
The G1 labels have proven themselves especially in industry and retail and can be used as electronic price tags as well as electronic labels. Thanks to their various available sizes and the three display colors, the labels can be used individually and flexibly. The G1 Retail Labels are available in sizes from 1.6 inches to 12.2 inches and are available in black and white, black and white red or black and white yellow. The additional colors red and yellow allow information to be additionally highlighted. To further customize, the front panel of the Electronic Shelf Labels can also be interchanged with different colors. The different holders also allow the labels from SES-imagotag to be flexibly attached in different places and individually adapted to different shelf systems.
In addition to the e-ink technology, which guarantees very good readability, the integrated NFC technology enables numerous networking options between customer, product and retailer. As a further advantage, the labels offer a battery life of up to 5 years. A function makes it easy to switch the display pages of the digital labels with item name, item number and price.
In the industrial sector, digital e-ink displays are proving their worth in marking, labeling and signage. Where printed labels would otherwise have to be changed frequently and laboriously, the inscriptions on the e-ink labels can be changed simply and easily. This means that item descriptions or the quantity of these in the area of warehouse management, as well as machine and shelf markings or flow charts and routing slips, can be displayed on the digital labels. Industrial companies benefit from the process optimization and automation made possible by the fast and flexible updates. The e-ink labels eliminate the need for paper labels, while at the same time saving material consumption and employee working time. The digital labels can be managed centrally and also offer the option of controlling various processes via the LEDs on the labels. In this way, the current stock of goods is displayed at all times, which prevents failures during ongoing operations.
