Labor shortages, rising costs and continued supply chain challenges are causing many companies to rethink their processes and workflows. As these challenges have become our new permanent reality, it’s now more important than ever to figure out how to get things done more efficiently and cost-effectively, with less reliance on scarce labor.

One way that our team at ScanTexas has been helping our customers do this is by taking a look at their barcode label printing processes. Any program aimed at boosting labor productivity, efficiency and accuracy should always include a review of your label printing processes. This is especially crucial since barcode labeling and tracking is so central to overall workflow automation and optimization.

If your label printing is slow, inefficient, not accessible at the edge of your operations, or not integrated seamlessly with all the processes where it needs to occur, it can cost you time and labor at every step. But most companies don’t immediately realize this because they’re not monitoring their printing performance or workflows and measuring how much of an impact they’re having on their overall operations.

However, if you survey your workforce or take some time to pull the right data and examine the processes where labeling and tracking are ultimately mission-critical, a clear reality will typically emerge, and it will often shed light on many hidden time and labor drains in your operations. This is where a few simple improvements to your labeling processes can make a huge difference, so let’s take a look at four recommendations we typically make to companies looking to save time, labor and cost wherever they can.

1. Mobilize label printing at the edge of your operations.

Every time they’re walking back-and-forth to a printer, they’re wasting time they could save by being able to print and apply a label instantly and on the spot wherever it’s needed in your processes. Every time they print a batch run of labels and then apply them later, it creates a higher risk of errors, where the wrong labels can end up on the wrong items. If your workers get interrupted mid-process, that risk increases exponentially.

To speed up and error-proof your labeling processes and minimize time delays and wasted labor, look for opportunities to mobilize your label printing. For example, wireless mobile printers from Zebra allow you to print barcode labels or RFID tags on demand and on the spot, without having to walk back and forth to a printer workstation or create and apply batch runs.

Zebra’s mobile printers connect wirelessly to handheld mobile computers or other devices as well as to your networks and business systems via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. They provide fast and reliable printing in a compact, lightweight device with military-grade drop specs and durability. They’re also wearable using a shoulder strap or belt clip, and they can be used indoors or outdoors, so you can integrate these printers with virtually any process at the edge of your operations and even outside the four walls.

2. Integrate automated printing with more of your processes.

As you look for additional ways to improve your label printing processes, make sure that automated label printing is available directly from within your apps and software wherever it’s needed. It’s important to make sure your workers don’t have to interrupt your processes, launch an additional app, or otherwise deal with delays or manual printing workflows when they need to print labels.

3. Speed up, improve and expand your printer connectivity.

One thing that can slow down printing processes is slow connection speeds or not being able to communicate through the latest high-speed wireless or wired protocols. Advancements are made all the time in USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and other communication protocol speeds, bandwidth, coverage and connection reliability.

4. Simplify and centralize your printer management.

This last tip can help you save time and resources in IT as well as avoid headaches and delays in your label printing processes. In many cases, your IT resources can end up having to go out on a warehouse or production floor or even travel to different sites to troubleshoot and fix label printing issues.

However, if you’re using newer printers with cloud-based and centralized device management, your IT team can monitor, troubleshoot, and address most printing issues remotely, without having to leave their office. They can also typically solve problems much faster and more efficiently, getting your printing processes back online or running optimally, with minimal disruptions and far less lost time for your workers.