Why Do I Need to Innovate?
In the world of manufacturing and packaging, it’s tempting to stick with what works.
If your current coding and marking system is just “getting the job done”, you could be missing out on major benefits.
A don’t fix it approach stifles the application of new technologies with the potential to improve efficiency and therefore increase profitability.
From batch coding to real-time traceability, the systems we use today have come a long way from manual labelling. What’s changing now is how business leverage their on-pack data. Not just meeting compliance but to reduce waste, prevent recalls, fight counterfeiting and connect with their customers like never before.
Take something as simple as the a ‘use by’ date. Decades ago, this data was applied manually or even written on, a process which was prone to error and inefficiency. Awareness of food quality issues increased which led to demand for appropriate production date, batch identification and ‘use by’ information. In wider society the manual date application may have ‘worked’ but it wasn’t working to meet these wider concerns. Today, automated coding and marking ensures accuracy and speed.
For example, i-mark’s Thermal Inkjet printers Compact, maintenance-free, and perfect for high-resolution variable data printing across food, pharma, and industrial packaging lines. Or the ResMark5000, our large character inkjet solution designed to replace labels on porous materials like cardboard. Both offer reliable, cost-saving print options that future-proof your production for evolving traceability demands.
Who Drives Innovative Practice
The end consumer isn’t always aware that these of these needs and isn’t always the driver towards change. Therefore, it is essential for innovation to be driven by industry. We need to anticipate the needs of the public, react to changes in other technologies and production methods, and understand consumer demand, while maintaining profitability. The ‘use by’ date is perfect microcosm of this in action. The public were quite unaware of the need for this until the early 1980s when it began to appear alongside the already established best before indicator. What the consumer did not know, and quite rightly did not care about, was the development of the technology needed to supply that vital piece of safety information.
Where Innovation Can Happen
In the Pharmaceutical industry, for instance, track and trace technologies such as on-pack serial numbers, barcodes, dates and production information, mean the movement of pharmaceuticals and medical devices can be monitored from supplier to production to finally the end-user. The NHS for example has strict requirements regarding track and trace for many of their supply partners.
The industrial sector often relies on complex supply chains with numerous components sourced from various regions around the world. Unique identification codes and traceability systems mean manufacturers can continue to rely on the legitimacy and calibre of their component suppliers.
For the Food and Beverage industry, track and trace solutions play a vital role in keeping track of the sourcing, production and distribution of food items. As well as logistical data, tracking batch numbers and other identification marking, enables the swift resolution of problems such as recalls for potentially contaminated or unsafe products.
What Do I need to do?
As businesses you need to be prepared to understand and embrace technologies such as IoT devices, AI, data corelation and other developments to elevate tracking and tracing processes to new heights.
At i-mark, we believe the future of product identification and traceability is already in place as all the technological capabilities are already developed. It’s printed directly on your packaging, ready to be activated. We are working to bring you the best tracking and tracing solutions so that you have the opportunity you need to take advantage of this revolution.
Ready to upgrade your traceability?