{"id":1115,"date":"2009-10-02T08:14:37","date_gmt":"2009-10-02T14:14:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/?p=1115"},"modified":"2019-09-13T13:52:00","modified_gmt":"2019-09-13T19:52:00","slug":"mim-labels-three-times-faster-with-zebra-mobile-printers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/mim-labels-three-times-faster-with-zebra-mobile-printers\/","title":{"rendered":"MIM labels three times faster with Zebra mobile printers"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Zebra<\/a>Objective:<\/strong>
\nImprove efficiency by enabling store staff to automatically print product labels when handheld terminals display a change of price.<\/p>\n

Solution:<\/strong>
\nThe roll-out of 300 QL 220 mobile printers<\/a> for MIM stores<\/p>\n

To boost its efficiency, the MIM chain has just equipped its stores with 300 QL 220 mobile printers. Integrated with the stores IT system, the printers have enabled the company to become more reactive, and store personnel can now do price checking and labeling tasks three times faster than before. MIM is extremely satisfied with this rise in productivity.<\/p>\n

Benefits:<\/strong>
\nTime saved: price labeling is three times faster than the previous solution using a manual labeler.<\/p>\n

Reduced risk of errors: data used for label printing is sent directly from the central store system. Staff do not need to enter this information, thereby reducing the risk of error.<\/p>\n

Improvements in working conditions: ergonomically designed and very simply to maintain, the PDT and printer combination is easy to use.<\/p>\n

Less development needed: implementing the QL 220 and interfacing it with the system, required almost no extra development due to Zebra\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s open interfaces.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Background<\/strong>
\nMIM is a chain of mass-market clothes boutiques for young women, with over two hundred outlets in France. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We are specialized in the low-price and markdown sector,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d explains Philippe Lafon, the company\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s IT manager. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We have to do everything possible to be reactive with our labeling and price updates. Especially since the company uses over 20 million labels annually for its markdown campaigns, or 500,000 per campaign.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Which means that anything that can help reduce time spent on labeling is vital for the company\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s business!<\/p>\n

Starting in 1998, in collaboration with Zetes France, MIM equipped its stores with Symbol\u00c2\u00ae PDT 3100<\/a> scanner-enabled handheld data terminals<\/a> to check in received goods, input inventory and check prices. Printing labels was at the time done manually. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Once the portable data terminal showed a change of price, the employee had to put down the PDT, adjust the wheel on the manual labeler to the new price and print and apply the label to the article.,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d explains Philippe Lafon. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153In other words, it was a laborious operation and the manual input of prices incurred a high risk of errors.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Terminals that communicate straight to printers<\/strong>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153So we tried to make the system more efficient by connecting a mobile printer to the PDT,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d adds Philippe Lafon. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We chose Zebra\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s QL 220 mobile printers as they were compatible with existing equipment and development tools, but above all because they are very easy to use for the staff, all at a reasonable cost.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Connected by cable, QL 220 mobile printers communicate directly to the PDTs, which are connected to the POS system. Each time the bar code is read and each time a price changes, the terminal sends a message to the printer that automatically outputs the label.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153This system delivers huge productivity gains,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d says Philippe Lafon. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153On average we can operate three times faster. In the past, we needed two days per person for a normal operation, but it can now be done in less than a day. This time gain naturally leads to substantial financial savings, and far less risk of error. The user does not have to select the prices, since the data to print the label comes directly from the POS system via the PDT.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Open products that interface easily with the store systems<\/strong>
\nThe user design of the printer also played a vital role in the choice. Before choosing a solution, MIM tested products in the store, and the sales staff highlighted the little extras that the QL 220 brings to users. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Zebra\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mobile printer is very light, connects easily to the PDT, opens wide when you have to change a label roll and has sufficient battery life to ensure good user autonomy,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d says Philippe Lafon. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153In other words, unlike other products, the QL 220 really was designed for mobile labelling and that makes it easier to use and delivers good value for money.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Another advantage of these printers is that they are upgradeable. They are equipped for WIFI or BLUETOOTH connectivity, enabling MIM to upgrade its network to new communication technologies without changing the printer hardware. Lastly, but by no means least for Philippe Lafon, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153the QL 220 has standard interfaces that allow users to do their own independent development.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Zetes France, a VAR specialised in automatic identification and a Zebra partner, has supported this independence by designing a system that makes it easier to integrate new peripherals. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Thanks to our development tools, it took only two days to develop the program for interfacing the PDTs with the printers,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d says Alain Priol, Managing Director of Zetes France. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The key advantage of these printers is their user friendliness: small footprint, powerful autonomy, and robustness. They really are good value for money\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Objective: Improve efficiency by enabling store staff to automatically print product labels when handheld terminals display a change of price. Solution: The roll-out of 300 QL 220 mobile printers for MIM stores To boost its efficiency, the MIM chain has just equipped its stores with 300 QL 220 mobile printers. Integrated with the stores IT […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[135],"tags":[132,13],"yoast_head":"\nMIM labels three times faster with Zebra mobile printers - Barcoding News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/mim-labels-three-times-faster-with-zebra-mobile-printers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"MIM labels three times faster with Zebra mobile printers - Barcoding News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Objective: Improve efficiency by enabling store staff to automatically print product labels when handheld terminals display a change of price. 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