All-In-One Mobile Labeling Station to Boost Productivity
Eliminating Wasted Travel In the Warehouse
In fast-moving fulfillment and warehouse environments, companies are seeking every opportunity to improve productivity. Solutions such as material handling robots, barcode scanners, and wearable computers often come to mind. However, it’s important not to overlook one of the most common (and most easily addressed) sources of waste: travel waste. With travel waste, we are referring to the cumulatively vast amount of distance employees must travel back and forth from the point of work to print labels at the stationary point where the print station is located.
Fixed location printers become a source of time waste, as well as expensive shipping mistakes. It’s impossible to quickly improve this problem, with immediate results, with the adoption of an all-in-one mobile labeling station.
Benefits of a Mobile Labeling System
Significantly improve output (as much as doubling productivity!) by allowing employees to remain on-task, instead of walking back and forth to printers
Reduce labeling errors – printing labels at the point of use reduces the likelihood that they will be mixed up and applied to the wrong item.
A mobile printer can be a great solution in some cases, however, the label format and label printing requirements may require a full-sized industrial printer
Accessories For Your Powered Computer Cart
The specific configuration of your mobile labeling station will be dependent upon your workflow and requirements. Common accessories include:
CSSI offers configurable and durable carts from Newcastle Systems, which boast a swappable battery system, and can be ordered to include the label printer of your choice. The ROI for mobile labeling stations and powered computer carts can be exceptional. Start by contacting CSSI so that we can learn more about your application and suggest effective solutions.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions About Mobile Labeling Stations and Powered Printer Carts
Q: Why move labeling to a mobile powered cart instead of using a fixed, centralized print station?
A. A centralized station makes workers walk back and forth between the work and the printer, which adds travel time and increases the risk of putting the wrong label on the wrong item. A powered cart carries the computer, scanner, and label printer to the dock, the pick face, or the production line, so workers can enter data, print, and apply labels right where the product is. Newcastle Systems describes McCollister’s Global Services moving from a centralized labeling setup, which it says caused wasted time, errors, and losses, to mobile carts, with labeling accuracy reported at 99.8%.
Q: What kind of productivity and accuracy gains can a warehouse or plant realistically expect?
A. Newcastle Systems claims its carts can double productivity from day one and cut errors by 92% when inputting, printing, and applying labels at the dock. These are vendor figures, and the page doesn’t say how they were measured, so treat them as a starting point rather than a guarantee. A time study of your current labeling process is the best way to estimate your own gains. Newcastle offers a free MotionMeter iOS app and an ROI calculator to help with that.
Q: How do the carts keep devices powered across a full shift, or several shifts?
A. The carts have integrated power systems that run the onboard computer, scanner, and printer. That way devices don’t lose charge partway through a shift, and workers don’t have to stop to find an outlet. Newcastle’s Classic Duel system uses two batteries, which the company says supports more equipment and lets the cart run between shifts without shutting down. Lithium options, including the PowerSwap Nucleus system and lithium upgrade kits, are also offered. The page doesn’t list runtimes or capacities, so IT should match battery specs to the actual power draw of the equipment it plans to mount.
Q: What should an IT director think about before deploying mobile labeling carts?
A. A cart is really a mobile workstation, so the usual endpoint questions still apply. Check Wi-Fi coverage at docks, staging areas, and on the plant floor, since real-time data depends on a steady connection to the WMS or ERP. Confirm that your existing printers, scanners, and computers can mount on the cart and run on its power system. Plan how the carts’ PCs and printers will be managed, patched, and secured alongside the rest of your fleet. Standardizing on one cart model, such as Newcastle’s EC Series or NB Series, and one set of peripherals makes support and spare parts simpler.
Q: How quickly does an investment in mobile labeling carts pay for itself?
A. Newcastle Systems claims a typical payback period of about 6 to 8 months. It attributes this to higher output in fewer labor hours, fewer labeling errors and the rework and chargebacks that come with them, and less time spent walking. The company also says workers like the carts, which can help with retention, and it presents them as a lower-cost alternative to robots and automated retrieval systems. Your actual payback depends on your labor rates, label volume, and current error rate, so run the numbers with your own data before committing.
