In an industry that historically has held a high standard of quality for production and shipping processes, consistent and accurate labeling is essential throughout the automotive supply chain.
Leaning on contract manufacturers to provide components and modules or to assemble entire vehicles lets companies focus on more critical strategic matters. But with contract manufacturers or original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), multiple suppliers or vendors typically work to complete a final product, meaning more stakeholders and more supply chain complexity.
Barcode labeling is the common language that allows every link in the automotive supply chain to work together efficiently.
Insuring barcode label quality is critical to a steady assembly line
According to Forbes, the average automotive manufacturer loses $22,000 per minute when the production line stops, which quickly adds up. Overall, unplanned downtime costs industrial manufacturers as much as $50 billion a year.
Modern car production lines in use today aren’t much different than the basic Ford systems of the past when you look at the very basics. Automobiles still go from station to station and worker to worker along a steady assembly line. If components, bins, or pallets aren’t where they need to be at the exact time they’re needed, a worker or station can’t finish a car to pass it to the next station. The assembly line stops, production is delayed, and revenue is lost.
Avoiding this starts even before pallets arrive at the receiving dock – it begins with those incoming shipments and pallets having accurate and readable barcode labels so workers at the receiving dock know if a pallet needs to go to the warehouse or directly to the line. So, the importance of a barcode label is incredibly high – if it isn’t readable, everything stops. Plus, bad barcode labels are not attractive to automotive manufacturers – they can result in fines, supplier audits, or canceled contracts.
Label security and traceability software and TSC Printronix Auto ID ODV-2D barcode verification and validation printers offer a solution to help reduce downtime due to incorrect, missing, or unreadable barcodes. ODV-2D printers enable suppliers to inspect every barcode automatically and integrate with labeling software for full traceability of barcode verification. Every single barcode label that is printed has its barcodes scanned, verified, graded, and recorded in the software’s database.
Through barcode verification and traceability, suppliers can ensure their shipments are in accordance with guidelines for shipping/parts identification labels and contract manufacturers can rest easy knowing 100% of shipments from that supplier will arrive with high-quality barcodes.
Another way to make sure incoming labels adhere to guidelines and regulations? Centrally managing the labels suppliers use.
Implementing browser-based label printing creates a unified supplier labeling system
With an enterprise label management solution, labeling for automotive contract manufacturers with many suppliers or vendors can centralize control of barcode label printing to ensure both industry regulations and customer requirements are met, plus eliminate any need to send label files back and forth. Meet contract manufacturers’ needs for supplier labeling with modules for label design, print automation, label security and traceability, and browser-based label printing.
How does a unified supplier labeling system work?
- Smart label templates are designed and maintained in-house, and every change must pass a customizable approval process. Only approved label templates can be printed.
- Companies create simple, streamlined printing interfaces via a web browser that are secured with a username and password. Each supplier can only access the approved labels associated with that supplier. No local software installations required!
- Seamless integration with business systems and databases provides accurate real-time data for every label printed.
- Every label print job is tracked, including both internal print jobs and external supplier print jobs. Detailed reporting keeps manufacturers prepared in the event of an audit.
The supplier labeling system is centrally managed from one location and can be hosted on-premise or in the cloud. Browser-based label printing portals are then published so outside plants or suppliers can have secure access to approved label templates that automatically pull in real-time data from a business system for accurate printing.
Defined business processes can be enforced at every level, restricting access to only the printers, labels, and tasks a user needs to perform their job. And because no local software installations are required, new plants or suppliers can easily be added to the system without requiring IT support.
A controlled automotive supplier labeling system provides the security needed to ensure accuracy and quality of all incoming and outgoing barcode labels. And as automotive industry regulations change and customer or manufacturer requirements are updated, suppliers can immediately access updated (and approved) labels through their secure label printing portal.
Finding cost-effective solutions is the hallmark of a valued contract manufacturer
- Support for setting up a robust barcode verification process.
- Expertise in implementing enterprise-level solutions to manage labeling across the entire automotive supply chain.
- Solutions that offer embedded label templates compliant with industry standards like AIAG, Odette, JAMA, and VDA.
A barcode labeling solution that offers these features ensures streamlined operations, compliance with industry standards, and greater efficiency across your automotive supply chain.