RFID Labels: What You Need To Know To Choose The Right Label

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Why You Need To Understand RFID Labels

Walmart announced earlier this year that they are expanding their use of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to include many more product categories than previously. In September of 2022, the Walmart RFID mandate will be extended to cover thousands of suppliers who previously were only required to use conventional barcodes on their products. Basically, if you supply Walmart with home products, electronics, sporting goods, toys, or automotive batteries you’ll need to add RFID tags to your products. You can read more about the Walmart RFID mandate in our recent blog post.

Walmart has already indicated that they expect RFID usage to spread into even more categories in the future and other retailers are likely to follow. As a result, many analysts and business leaders see this as an indication that RFID technology is poised for widespread adoption across the retail industry.

Even if your business isn’t directly affected by the new Walmart RFID mandate, there’s a good chance similar changes will affect you in the future. As a result, a lot of businesses are now exploring RFID solutions.

RFID is somewhat complicated, with several variables that must be considered to craft an effective solution. But one thing that makes sense as a starting point for most applications is the RFID label itself. The label is an especially good starting point for those businesses that will add secondary labels to their product to comply with Walmart’s RFID mandate.

What Goes into RFID Labels?

Before you embark on your journey to choose RFID labels, it’s helpful to have a little background about RFID tags and labels.

At the risk of oversimplifying, an RFID tag is any combination of the following:

  • RFID chip – where the data is stored
  • Antenna – which sends and receives radio signals
  • Substrate – the material that holds the chip and antenna together
  • Facing – the covering

Together, the chip, antenna, and substrate are often referred to as an inlay. There are many different inlay designs for many different applications.

When you add a white facing and adhesive backing to an inlay, you create what is generally referred to as an RFID label. At a glance, these look like plain paper labels but look closely and you can usually see the embedded RFID tag with an antenna that looks sort of like a printed circuit. Run them through an RFID printer that both prints the label and encodes the chip, and you have a label you can use for a variety of peel-and-stick applications, like adding an RFID tag to existing product packaging to satisfy the Walmart RFID mandate.

RFID labels come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. They also incorporate different inlays for different applications. For example, a larger inlay can support a longer read range, and some inlays are designed to work with specific types of handheld, fixed, or overhead readers. Plus, like common labels, RFID labels are available with a range of different materials and adhesives for different applications.

Key Factors When Choosing The Right RFID Labels

3 Main Factors:

  • Label size and inlay requirements: How big can the label be and what type of inlay is required?
  • Reader type: What type of RFID readers will be used to detect the label?
  • Material and surface: What surface will the label be bonded to and what environmental conditions will the label encounter?

As you work through these variables, you’ll discover whether your specific application requires a general-purpose, advanced, or specialty label.

General-purpose labels typically have a paper or synthetic face and employ adhesives that adhere to non-metallic surfaces. These are often designed for use with corrugated cardboard, so they are commonly used for case, pallet, and cross-docking applications in warehouse operations.

Advanced labels typically offer a higher level of read performance, making them well-suited for use in retail and healthcare applications. Advanced labels are often designed for long-range detection, which makes them useful in manufacturing settings or other applications where long read ranges are beneficial.

Specialty labels cover a range of different applications and can include different face materials, including metal. If you need labels that can be used to tag assets with metallic surfaces, or you need durable tags for IT equipment or healthcare assets, you may find yourself looking for specialty labels.

As you can see, there are a lot of variables to consider when choosing an RFID label. The right choice will give you a tremendous advantage in asset visibility, inventory accuracy, and product tracking. Choose poorly, however, and you may be faced with underperforming adhesives, poor-quality printing, and unreliable performance that limits the return you see from your RFID investment.

And the label is just scratching the surface of RFID solutions. To truly leverage RFID technology, the best step you can take is to engage a partner like SK&T. We have 25 years of experience helping organizations navigate operational challenges. We’ll evaluate your specific requirements to help you choose the right RFID labels and help you deploy RFID solutions that improve visibility and tracking throughout your operation.

Here’s How You Can Meet Walmart’s Expanded RFID Mandate

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Early in 2022, Walmart announced a major expansion of its RFID program that will affect thousands of suppliers.

Under the new Walmart RFID mandate, all suppliers of home products, electronics, sporting goods, toys, and automotive batteries will need to add RFID tags to their products by September 2.

But the impact on affected suppliers is even more urgent because there’s an initial deadline of June 3 to submit sample RFID tags for approval. And the must-arrive-by-date (MABD) for products shipped into Walmart distribution centers is August 17. Miss any of those dates and you’ll be out of compliance, which is never good when you’re dealing with the world’s largest retailer.

The new RFID mandate impacts all Walmart USA Stores, including Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and .Com Merchandise and applies to all national, proprietary, supplier, and private brands. If that’s you, depending on when you’re reading this, you may have some quick work to do.

Even if this extension of Walmart’s RFID mandate doesn’t impact your business yet, it pays to give some attention to RFID applications because other products will likely be added to the mandate before long. In fact, RFID Journal reports that Shelly McDougal, Walmart’s senior director of merchandising said, “We look forward to expanding the technology into more categories to further improve inventory accuracy across the business, provide a better in-store shopping experience for customers and drive more online and pick-up-in-store capabilities.”

There’s also a distinct possibility that Walmart’s expanded RFID mandate could be a catalyst for other retailers to follow suit with their own RFID requirements. Sandeep Unni, a senior director analyst in Gartner’s retail industry research practice, told RFID Journal that “A mandate coming from [Walmart] could just be the tipping point for other retailers to further adoption.”

Contact SK&T about implementing RFID labels.

What’s Required and How to Get There

Under Walmart’s expanded RFID mandate, if you’re supplying home products, electronics, sporting goods, toys, and automotive batteries, you’ll need to add RFID tags to your products.

 

Ultimately, you’ll want to incorporate RFID tags into your manufacturing supply chain and tag products at the source.

In the meantime, however, you’ll need a plan for tagging products that are in transit or sitting on the shelf in distribution. The good news is that Walmart is allowing suppliers to add a secondary RFID-enabled label to their products.

There are two basic ways to approach this.

First, you can buy labels that incorporate RFID inlays and print them yourself. To do this, you’ll need RFID labels and RFID-capable printers. It will also be a good idea to have some RFID readers so, at a minimum, you can check the accuracy of the tags/labels. The good news is that Walmart-approved RFID labels and all the hardware are available from Zebra Technologies, and SK&T has all the expertise needed to get you up to speed quickly.

Your second option is to use pre-printed/encoded labels. The easiest way to accomplish this is to use Zebra’s RFID Printing and Encoding Service, which provides serialized pre-printed and encoded RFID supplies specifically to support programs like Walmart’s RFID mandate. Zebra offers a range of Walmart-approved RFID labels with the sizes and inlays required for all the product categories covered by the Walmart RFID mandate.

Exactly how you choose to proceed in the short term will be determined by the scale of your RFID requirements and the amount of time left to reach compliance. Remember, the short deadlines don’t allow much time to ramp up in-house RFID capabilities, so you’ll need to carefully consider all options.

Regardless of how you choose to proceed, there are enough complexities to RFID that just about everyone is well-advised to seek out a technology partner who can guide you through the entire process. SK&T has a quarter-century of experience helping organizations navigate operational challenges like Walmart’s RFID mandate. Working together with Zebra, we can help you implement short- and long-term plans that comply with Walmart’s requirements and help you leverage RFID technology to improve visibility and tracking throughout your own operation.

Contact SK&T about implementing RFID labels.

Big Signs It’s Time to Replace Your Label Printer

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Are your printers still performing at their peak?

It’s commonplace for many businesses to use the same label printer for many years, and sometimes for well over a decade. After all, if your printer is getting the job done and it’s been a reliable workhorse, why spend money to replace it with a new one?

If you’re in that situation, then congratulations! You’ve had quite a good run with your current printer. But if you’re not getting the same label printing performance you did years ago, and you’re starting to encounter problems with your hardware, it could be time to replace your printer.

In this article, we’ll take a look at some common signs it’s time to inspect your label printer and refurbish or replace it. It’s important to know these warning signs so you can stay ahead of quality issues and keep your operations moving seamlessly.

1. Print Quality Issues

It’s always important for labels to have good print quality, so they can be read and scanned without any issues. In many situations, crisp and clear printing is also important for branding, quick visual identification, sorting, or conveying important safety information on labeled assets, products or shipments.

However, aging printers can start having issues with inconsistent, blurry, or grainy print. Sometimes this is due to a lack of proper preventative maintenance and cleaning, which can remove contaminants and accumulated material, allowing you to get back to a desired clear, crisp, and vibrant printing. However, if your printer is damaged or key components have become worn out and are beyond repair, you may need to consider upgrading your printers to newer models.

2. Printhead Problems

One of the underlying causes of print quality issues is a damaged or worn printhead. If there is buildup on your printhead and you haven’t been properly caring for it, your printhead might be damaged. A damaged printhead can cause several issues with print quality, uniformity, and consistency. To avoid this, you need to keep your printhead cleaned and well maintained.

Like anything, even a properly maintained printhead wears out with time and needs to be replaced. This can be quite expensive, so the best thing to do is stay ahead of preventive cleaning and care, and look to enroll in a program like Zebra’s Printhead Protection Program when you buy a new printer.

Zebra’s program provides guaranteed free printhead replacement as long as you’re using Zebra printers and agree to use Zebra’s labels and printing supplies exclusively.

However, if you’re not already using Zebra printers or aren’t in the program, and your printhead is giving your problems that can’t be fixed with some cleaning and maintenance, then consider investing in a new printer and signing up for the Printhead Replacement Program, so you don’t have to worry about printhead issues again.

3. Frequent Maintenance and Repairs

As we’ve already mentioned more than once, regular maintenance and servicing are critical to keeping your printers in top-performing shape. If you’ve been properly servicing your printers and are still encountering jams, print quality issues, and technical problems, your printer may be reaching its end of life, and it might be time to replace it.

An occasional need for service, calibration, or a quick repair is normal with printers that have been in use for years. But if you’re starting to need repairs more frequently and it’s disrupting your labeling operations, then start thinking about a replacement sooner rather than later.

Rather than spending money on fixes and repairs, you could be investing in a new device that will provide years of seamless printing, especially if you take proper care of it. It’s important to weigh the cost of maintenance on old printers vs. replacement printers.

4. Slow Print Speeds

Over time, some printers can become slower as they start to wear down, and some can have connectivity and other issues that can also slow down printing processes. Ultimately, lagging print speeds and performance can be rooted in many different causes, so first you should check with SK&T to check into these potential underlying problems.

If your issues can’t be fixed or fixed economically, a full replacement is in order. Realizing you need a replacement can be difficult, but it’s a better alternative to slow printing, especially if your business needs are picking up or you have large-volume labeling tasks that can overwhelm an aging device.

5. Limited Label Design Options

Sometimes your printing issues might be more about aesthetics and a failure to keep up with more sophisticated label design and quality requirements. For example, to enable better visibility of products or inventory or to improve your branding, you may want to add colors and graphics to your labels. You may need to start using labels that are better designed to resist sunlight, water, abrasion, or extreme temperatures.

However, your printer might not be able to deliver on these needs, particularly if it wasn’t built with the required printing capabilities or tools to print on specialized label materials. Many new applications can add graphics and colors with the desired characteristics, clarity, and quality. To get the results you want, it might make sense to invest in a next-generation printer that comes with all the technology you need for more sophisticated, visually attractive, and attention-grabbing label designs.

6. Outdated Capabilities

Label printers can become obsolete when business needs exceed what your hardware was built to do.

Some good examples include the need for Bluetooth communication, connectivity with the latest mobile devices and apps, and the ability to make aftermarket upgrades in the field, such as adding RFID encoding or tools such as a label rewinder or cuter to your printer.

Another big issue that many companies are having to address right now is a lack of updated printer security. Printers and other peripheral devices have become a leading target for new cyberattacks and hacking attempts, particularly since these devices haven’t been as well protected historically as networks, PCs, servers, and other pieces of hardware.

But printing is evolving all the time, and so are the methods that hackers use to compromise companies’ security, steal sensitive data, and spread malware and ransomware.

To fully protect your enterprise, you need to be looking at your printer security just as closely as your other cybersecurity. If your current label printer isn’t keeping up with your changing printing needs and especially if it’s no longer supported with security updates and the latest encryption and protection to keep your device safe, then the time to act is now.

Contact us to find out about the latest threats, the latest printing capabilities that are available to meet your business needs, and how to make the right choice to maximize the life of your next printer investment.

To learn more, contact our printer and labeling experts at SK&T. Call us at 720-851-9108 or email us through our website at www.skandt.com/contact/.

6 Issues You Can Prevent By Replacing Your Aging Printers

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Every business wants to get the longest life and the most performance out of every piece of equipment, including the barcode label printers you use every day. Ideally, you just want your label printer to work and keep working forever, without any headaches or hassles.

Nevertheless, even the most durable and high-performance printers have a limited lifespan. Over time your printers can start to wear out or break down. Even if your printers are running strong, maybe you need more for your operations. If your business needs have grown, maybe you need faster print speeds or higher security to protect against cyber threats. 

Ultimately, even if you keep your label printers serviced and well-maintained, there comes a time when they need to be replaced.

Here are six big issues you can prevent by being proactive and replacing your barcode label printers before they start to negatively impact your work.

1. Downtime

As printers age and near the end of their life cycle, they typically start requiring more preventive maintenance, servicing, and repair. This means you have to take them offline, and they might even need to be shipped to a depot repair center for work. You could be looking at short or potentially prolonged downtime and interruptions of your labeling processes.

You can work around this to a point, however, the most efficient and cost-effective solution is to replace aging printers before they become an issue. Your printers should seamlessly work in the background of your operations. If you’re taking time and staff energy to swap out printers, send them out for repairs, and wait for their return, it might be time to consider an upgrade.

2. Workflow Disruptions

Whether your labeling operations are slowed down to send a printer for servicing or you’re having problems with reprint labels because of worsening print quality issues, there are many ways that your aging and poorly performing printers can disrupt your workflows.

Every time you have to reprint a label, it means time and money is taken away from something else. Every time a poorly printed label gets through and applied, it’s a potential problem that could lead to a failed scan or the inability to read the label. 

In either case, it’s lost time. As this keeps happening, it quickly adds costs to your bottom line through wasted and unnecessary labor.

Before your aging printer starts disrupting your workflows, make sure you’ve been doing the right servicing and cleaning and keep your printheads replaced. If you’re doing all the right things but you’re still having problems, it’s time to work with us to find a long-term solution.

3. Missed Shipments

As we mentioned above, print quality can become a significant problem when using an aging barcode label printer. If a barcode or label is printed incorrectly, it may not be scannable or readable. The ability to read and scan a label correctly is crucial for avoiding missed or lost shipments.

There’s no margin for error when it comes to barcoding and tracking at a time when fast, accurate and on-time deliveries are more important than ever. To keep your shipments moving and ensure that they can be tracked and traced from end to end, you need to keep your printheads and printers in excellent shape.

If your printer isn’t keeping up anymore and is causing issues, and it’s not simply a worn or damaged printhead, then get repairs made or replace your printer to prevent similar problems from recurring.

4. Waste

As print quality and printer performance begin to suffer from worn-out hardware, so do your labeling operations’ efficiency and cost savings. Inevitably, you’ll find yourself having to reprint labels because of a jam, a label coming out blurred or faded or inconsistent. This quickly adds up to wasted labels and printing supplies or printer ribbons.

If you’re starting to see this kind of waste and it’s not an issue with needing to clean your printer or replace a printhead, it might be time to replace your printing device itself. If needed, reach out to SK&T for a free consultation. We’ll help you decide if a replacement is needed or if your problems can be addressed with a repair or other fix.

5. Compliance Issues

In industries and applications where clear, readable, and scannable labels are critical for meeting compliance requirements, there is no room for poor printing or other labeling issues. If a label can’t be read or scanned, You may run into the following problems:

  • Unable to trace back to the manufacturer for recall
  • Missing safety information
  • Incorrect color-coding
  • Faded or misprinted warning icons

Issues such as these can result in dangerous risks for customers and costly compliance violations for manufacturers and other entities responsible for proper labeling. To ensure compliance, address printing issues promptly. Examine whether servicing or repair might be warranted, and replace printers if they are no longer able to get the job done correctly and perfectly every time.

6. Cost

One common denominator in the above problems is the unnecessary costs added to your business. Sometimes the disrupted workflows can be easy to overlook, especially if you’re not regularly dealing with reprint labels or struggling with the poor print quality and scanning issues. If it’s not your workflow being disrupted, you might not be immediately aware of what’s going on.

Every bit of downtime, disruption, waste, and printer-related problems is a drain on time, resources, and costs. Sometimes costs will be quite clear and impossible to ignore, especially if a label printing problem leads to a lost or misidentified asset or shipment to a vital customer, or to a compliance failure.

Be sure to monitor your printer usage and use printer management tools to track and identify problems. Consult with the people using your printers and involved in labeling operations to find out if printing issues are getting in the way of their jobs.

The last thing you want to do is wait for problems to become so severe they cost you more than the price of a new printer. It’s better to stay on top of things, be proactive, and make a preemptive investment in a new printer when it will save you hassles, risks, and costs in the long run.

If your printers are aging and are starting to cause problems or are at the risk of creating them, connect with our team at SK&T for information on some of the latest devices, the newest features and capabilities, and how to save money by trading in your old equipment.

In fact, with the GO Zebra Trade-In Program, you can save up to $650 per device when you trade in your qualifying old equipment, including non-Zebra devices, and upgrade to Zebra’s next-generation and top-quality label printers.

To learn more, contact us now at 720.851.9108. We’d be happy to help!

Top 5 Expert Tips to Consider When Choosing Your Label Solution

Why Is The Right Label Important?

Selecting the correct labels that are optimized for your printer and use case is important for keeping operations smooth and efficient. You’ll maximize your time and money with printing accuracy and prolonged printer life when you start on the right foot with your label selection.

Choosing a printing and label solution sounds difficult and overwhelming. But the correct printing solution for your labeling needs can save you thousands of dollars in time and inventory control.

At SK&T, we have over 25 years of experience with printing supplies and media. We’ve collaborated with industry leaders in barcode-scanning and data-capturing devices and worked with clients whose industries span all verticals. We’ve spent decades researching and compiling the pros and cons of each device and its uses across different industries.

When we work with you, we first identify your supply and media needs. After that, we’ll construct a total solution plan that is comprehensive and tailored to your business’s unique goals.

We take the following factors into account to find a top-quality label solution for your needs.

1. Product Mobility

Analyze where your products spend their time. Figuring out your product’s day-to-day will help you choose what kind of label material and mobile printing solution you need.

If products have to sit outside, you’ll likely want to invest in thermal transfer synthetic material. This ensures durability and flexibility when it’s time to move products again. We recommend Zebra’s ZQ500 mobile printer line. They’re some of the most rugged handheld devices out there, and they even work when employees are wearing gloves.

Conversely, for indoor products, you’ll probably want direct thermal labels. The Zebra QLn line is lightweight and shock-proof, plus the devices can withstand drops of 5 feet.

2. Environmental Needs

In addition to considering where the products actually sit, also consider what is going on around them.  Environmental conditions play a pivotal role in determining the optimal solutions for your unique applications.

Weather and Temperature

Adhesive is extremely important with labels, and extremely high or low temperatures can reduce the label’s efficacy. It matters if you place the label on the product in 75°F and then transfer the product to a freezer that has a temperature of -2°F.

Standard materials are fine if labels are applied above 25°F and move to temperatures from 65°F to 200°F. You’ll especially need thermal transfer supplies and possibly a special adhesive for temperatures outside of these ranges. Zebra’s ZQ500 line is one of the most receptive to extreme temperatures; the ZQ500 devices can take temperatures from -4°F to 131°F.

Abrasion and Chemical Resistance

Labels can become illegible and rendered useless from abrasion. Choosing label ribbons that have higher resin concentrations will keep labels going strong.

Similarly, if labels are near chemicals, no matter how harsh or seemingly innocuous (yes, water counts), you’ll want to take special note. If products are coming into contact with moderate or weak chemicals (bleach, alcohol, water, window cleaners), consider thermal transfer material. But with exposure to harsh chemicals, like bleach, alcohol, acetone, and xylene, a resin ribbon would be the best fit for durability.

3. Lifespan

The best label solution will depend on your label’s required lifespan and the environmental factors we mentioned above. Direct thermal material is the best option if your labels will be used for less than six months in standard temperatures and a dry environment.

If you’re dealing with exposure to extreme temperatures, harsh chemicals, or moisture, you’ll need specialty thermal transfer labels.

4. Surface Type to Label

Not all labels and label adhesive are created equal. The surface material affects what will be the best label solution for you.

Don’t discount the surface shape and type. You might end up paying more if your chosen solution isn’t the “right fit,” literally speaking.

5. Printer and Label Quality (speed, darkness, DPI)

Prioritize this aspect if your labels need to be printed within a certain time span. The label material that you use is directly correlated with print speeds.  For example, synthetic material won’t print in high quality above 6 inches per second (ips), and you’ll need a special high-speed wax ribbon to print faster than 12 ips.

If you want fast printing, you’ll want to increase darkness to ensure better barcode quality. Using higher-grade ribbons uses more energy and more ink since print darkness should be high with higher print speeds.

Last, for labels that have small fonts or detailed graphics, dots per inch (DPI) are extremely important. If that’s the case for your business, you’ll need a very smooth or glossy synthetic material.

The Bottom Line

You’ll know that you have the optimal label solution when your label materials and ribbons remain legible during storage, transport, and shipping. Don’t fear the nearly unlimited options when it comes to label selection. If you’re tired of wasting time trying to figure out the correct media on your own, let us take this painful process off your plate. Contact SK&T today for a customized label solution that will serve you well for years to come.

How to Lessen the Burden on Healthcare Providers

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healthcare automation and mobility

One of the biggest lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic has been the need to ease the burden on our healthcare providers, not just by trying to keep them safe and prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed, but by doing whatever we can to make their job easier.

One way that our team at SK&T has been helping healthcare systems do that is by further automating and mobilizing all the mission-critical workflows that go into patient care.

There are many ways we can do this and build on previous efforts to streamline, digitize, and optimize care delivery for better efficiency and better patient outcomes. In this article, we’ll take a look at a few quick examples, how they work, and how they help our healthcare providers can get more done with less effort and stress.

Arguably the best strategy for minimizing the burden on our healthcare providers is to equip nurses, physicians, and staff with mobile computing technologies and smart badges so they can quickly and securely access EMRs and patient records, communicate in real-time and manage and coordinate care, all with touch-enabled workflows that save time and effort at every stage.

A good example is Zebra’s TC52-HC healthcare mobile computer, which is an Android touch screen device that delivers octa-core processing power, high-speed Wi-Fi, and access to EMRs, alerts, voice, secure texting, and other tools at lightning speed. Devices like these are a great way to save time and effort by making mobile workflows as intuitive, seamless, and efficient as possible.

When the TC52-HC is paired with a smart badge and single sign-on software, staff can simply tap their badge to authenticate their identities and start securely using all the apps they need, even on a device that’s disinfected and shared with other staff on the next shift. The next user can simply tap their badge with the same integration, and the previous user is automatically signed out, and they’re signed in and can get to work right away.

Another simple way to make life and work a bit easier, especially for busy nurses and technicians, is to switch from traditional barcode scanners to small, compact, and wearable companion scanners. Devices such as Zebra’s CS60-HC healthcare companion scanner are small, lightweight, yet durable devices that nurses or technicians can place in a pocket or wear on a lanyard.

Despite their small size, these devices capture virtually any 1D or 2D barcode in any condition, even if a barcode is smudged, dirty, or poorly printed. They also easily pair wirelessly via Bluetooth with other devices such as mobile computers. This makes them great for nurses or technicians on the go because they can be freed from carrying cumbersome devices or having to rely on carts and mobile workstations to wheel devices around.

C60-HC scanners are also the first of their kind to offer a corded option as well. If you prefer, you can switch them from wireless to corded by simply connecting them to other devices with an optional USB cable. This means you can use these mini devices as a hands-free presentation scanner on a cart or workstation and not just as a handheld device.

Of course, since they’re designed for healthcare, they’re also made with disinfectant-ready plastics and a physical design that helps eliminate places where germs can potentially hide. They also have patient-friendly day and night modes, with options to choose between audible or haptic vibration for scanning feedback, and Zebra’s Direct Decode Indicator projects illumination onto the barcode to make sure it can be read in dim conditions.

Another way to simplify workflows for healthcare providers is to streamline admissions and help eliminate errors in patient care, medication, and specimen tracking by creating more automated identification and tracking systems.

You can do this with basic components such as barcoded patient ID wristbands and barcoding scanning, but you can also get more sophisticated by deploying mobile apps that help automate your specimen and medication tracking, a chain of custody, and your pickups and deliveries for labs and pharmacies. These days, there are proven healthcare apps for streamlining and error-proofing everything from medication tracking to supplies management and medical courier operations, so now is an ideal time to explore options and look for every area where you can leverage these solutions to reduce or eliminate manual and labor-intensive processes.

Some hospitals are taking technology a step further by using RFID to wirelessly track patients and their locations as they move through the admissions process and toward emergency surgeries where timing, coordination, and accurate patient identification are crucial.

Providers and staff can be automatically alerted to the status and location of incoming patients, even before they arrive at the hospital and then at key checkpoints along the way, using RFID readers and antennas that read and detect RFID-enabled patient ID wristbands with radio signals as they move past the readers.

Automation and tracking strategies like these can add up to a big difference in reducing the overall effort required to track patients. And there are numerous other potential RFID applications involving tracking of at-risk patients who might wander, quickly locating and tracking medical equipment and supplies when they’re needed, and automating inventory management by eliminating the need for item-by-item and physical barcode scans to track assets.

These are just some of the ways that hospitals are using mobility and automation to reduce the burden on our frontline healthcare workers and create better efficiency at a time when it’s needed most. But there are many more potential strategies and solutions to consider.

To learn more and find out about strategies, case studies, and solutions to tackle your biggest healthcare challenges, connect with our team at SK&T, and let’s start a conversation about how our technology experts can help.

The One Strategy Every Manufacturer Should Consider Right Now

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The past year has been one of the most challenging we’ve ever seen in the manufacturing sector, particularly with the unique convergence of several major trends and issues that are making it harder and tougher to meet production goals and meet customer demand.

Whether it’s been dealing with plant shutdowns, disruptions, and labor shortages due to COVID-19, or struggling to keep up with surging product demand despite shortages of materials and components as well as disruptions to the supply chain, manufacturers are having to adapt to unprecedented difficulties.

But every time we’re faced with a prolonged period of historic challenges and changes, it’s always important to keep in mind that it’s also a major business opportunity.

In every economic disruption, downturn, or upheaval, there are winners and losers, and the winners seize on the chance to be smart, to innovate and change the way they do things, and come out ahead by turning a series of negatives into positives and competitive advantages.

For example, during the 2009 Great Recession, 10% of companies saw their earnings climb steadily, and 9% of them not only recovered during the three years afterward, but they outperformed their competitors by at least 10% in sales growth and profit.

What allowed them to make these gains while so many other companies were losing or fighting to recover?

According to Bain & Company, which conducted one of the studies of these downturn winners, there were a number of factors, including being better prepared, exercising financial discipline, and making good decisions. But one of the biggest factors was technology.

By deploying new technologies that helped them improve efficiency, cut costs, and increase agility at a time when other companies were struggling, the recession winners figured out ways to move faster, simplify business processes, and make positive changes as well as continuous improvements.

As Bain partners, Tom Holland and Jeff Katzin put it, “winners can deploy new technologies coupled with cost management tools such as supply chain reinvention, complexity reduction, and zero-based budgeting to change the game.”

McKinsey senior partner Katy George also endorses technology as a key tool in adapting to fast-changing circumstances and market conditions. “Technologies create much more flexibility around product changes, volume changes, as well as the movement of your supply chain,” she says.

In manufacturing, there are many ways we can use technology to create this kind of flexibility while also boosting productivity, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. In every area of plant floor and warehouse operations, there are ways to automate and optimize workflows and tasks, minimize labor requirements and costs, and create a more efficient and accurate supply chain.

For example, while most manufacturers use barcoding and/or mobile computing technologies in the warehouse to manage and track their inventory, relatively few have taken the opportunity to invest in multi-modal voice-directed mobile technologies that allow them to take their order and material picking to an entirely new level.

As an example, using voice-directed picking software running on a wrist-worn mobile computer, combined with a finger-worn ring barcode scanner and a headset, warehouse workers can pick orders and material far more efficiently, with voice and/or visual commands that cue each pick, direct them along the most efficient routes to the correct warehouse location, and then verify the correct picks with a barcode scan, all while keeping their hands free to handle inventory.

Similarly, in production operations, Zebra has launched new fixed industrial scanners and machine vision cameras that automatically track and trace components, assemblies, and finished products as they move through production processes. These devices help count, sort and route them along the right pathways, and they can check products for defects, inconsistencies, contaminants, labeling and packaging problems, or an array of other potential quality issues.

In the receiving area and for assembly lines and line-side replenishment, we’ve helped many of our manufacturing clients automate and error-proof their inbound receiving and processing, using Zebra’s RFID, barcode scanning, and mobile computing solutions.

With automated data capture and mobile workflows at key process stages like these, workers and managers can be alerted when new materials or components arrive, when incorrect materials or components are stages, or when items need to be replenished to keep production processes moving.

For example, in the receiving area, RFID and barcoding solutions can be used to quickly and accurately identify and process materials when they arrive and help automate the put-away process with intelligent and precise routing to the correct locations.

In assembly, Zebra fixed industrial scanners can scan and verify that the correct parts are loaded on a conveyor and automatically sort and route them according to the correct destination line and process. At key stages in the production process, RFID tags can be used to remotely verify that the correct parts or components have been brought and staged for a given process, and automated exception alerts can be triggered when the wrong item is detected.

These are just a few examples of the many ways that manufacturers can use technologies to boost automation, efficiency, and accuracy at a time when we need to figure out how to do more with less and how to meet changing demands and supply chain realities. By making smart investments and deploying scalable technologies that can automate more of what we do and take more of the manual labor and potential human error out of the process, we can cut time and cost while also freeing us up to retrain and redeploy our workforce in areas where they’re needed most.

Most importantly, we can get out of a purely reactive mode and into a more proactive approach that helps us turn a tough time and tough circumstances into an opportunity to actually make gains and come out a winner.

If that’s something you’d like to do in your manufacturing operations, then now is a good time to be thinking about technology. And it’s a good time to reach out to a technology provider to explore your needs in detail, identify opportunities to leverage technology to your advantage, and figure out the best strategies you should consider.

To learn more and get started, reach out to our manufacturing technology experts at SK&T, and we’d be happy to help.

A Digital Starter Kit for Better Patient Safety

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Previously on our blog, we’ve talked a lot about patient safety. But with COVID-19 still raging and new variants of the coronavirus dominating the headlines, it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture with patient safety, where protecting patients is a big undertaking that involves a lot of processes and efforts that need to be optimized.

While we’ve been battling COVID infection rates and death totals, some other alarming numbers have been in play, and they point to how important it is to make sure we’re not just protecting patients from viruses but also protecting them from identification, medication, and specimen errors that can prove harmful and fatal as well.

For example, 1.3 million people are still injured annually due to medication administration errors. And 64% if clinicians say a patient is misidentified “very frequently” or “all the time” in a typical medical facility.

Over 160,000 patient specimens are erroneously labeled each year and lead directly to adverse patient incident. And 13% of all surgical mistakes are completely avoidable cases directly related to errors in patient identification.

These sobering and startling numbers underscore the importance of always trying to improve our patient safety procedures and systems, and one of the best ways to do that it is go digital. Ideally, we need to have digital patient identification, tracking, labeling and other workflows in place to minimize the possibility of human error from eliminate manual processes that can lead to catastrophic mistakes.

For many healthcare providers, the prospect of digitizing and helping automate patient identification and patient care can be daunting, particularly if you’re still relying on a mix of both manual and technology-driven processes and you have budget limitations or competing priorities for innovation and improvements.

But it’s relatively simple and affordable to immediately improve patient safety with what our team at SK&T calls a digital starter kit.

The Zebra Digital Starter Kit for Patient Safety Improvement

Our digital starter kit for better patient safety is centers on Zebra purpose-built healthcare technologies and solutions for patient identification and healthcare tracking. These solutions are our top-recommended choices for identification, verification and tracking of patients, medication, specimens, equipment, and more.

For example, we often recommend a basic Zebra kit of solutions that can be used throughout the continuum of care, starting with patient identification at admission and extending all the way through final discharge. Here are the basic components of the kit:

ZD510-HC Wristband Printers

Zebra’s ZD510-HC healthcare wristband printers are the simplest and most effective solution on the market for quickly printing patient ID wristbands. The ZD510-HC uses pop-in cartridges and auto-calibration to match each wristband size and make the loading and printing process incredibly fast and easy.

The printer also features a disinfectant-ready and UV-resistant housing for safe cleaning and protection against germs and bacteria, which is great for helping keep every safe, including patients and staff alike.

Zebra Z-Band® Patient ID Wristbands

Zebra’s Z-Band patient ID wristbands are our top recommendation for fast and easy patient wristband printing as well as positive and accurate patient identification.

Z-Bands are direct thermal-printed wristbands you can print easily and then safely secure to a patient’s wrist. The whole process takes under a minute, and Z-Bands are also made to withstand exposure to harsh hand sanitizers, ensuring that labels and patient information remain easily readable and scannable after cleaning.

Z-Bands come in a variety of sizes from infants to adults, and there are also Latex-free designs and options to protect sensitive skin.

Zebra QLN420 Mobile Printers or ZQ/ZD Series Desktop Printers

Zebra’s QLN mobile and compact ZQ and ZD series desktop printers are great for fast and on-demand label printing on hospital carts, at nursing workstations, and in laboratories and pharmacies.

With these printers, your staff can quickly label, identify and start tracking specimens as well as medications and match them with patient IDs and records. Zerba’s printers are also rugged and drop-resistant with medical-grade designs and flexible Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity for easy pairing with other devices or to connect to your network.

TC5x Series Mobile Computers

To scan barcode labels, track specimens and medications, and run the EHRs and software applications you use for identification, patient records and tracking, Zebra’s TC5x mobile computers provide an ideal all-in-one productivity device.

The TC5x Series provides fast and accurate 1D/2D barcode capture using Zebra’s advanced scanning algorithms, which speed up the scanning process and ensure first-time data capture, even when barcodes are damaged, smudged or poorly printed.

You also get enterprise-grade computer processing power, memory, and extended hot-swappable battery life so you can use your devices for long healthcare shifts or even multiple shifts. And it all comes in a sleek and smartphone-style device with a Gorilla Glass touch screen and casing built for the rigors of all-day, every day use, with optional accessories to add additional durability.

Specialized Healthcare Labels and Printing Supplies

To further error-proof patient care, it’s also a good idea to make sure you’re using the right barcode labels and printing supplies in certain areas where standard barcode labels can cause major problems.

Here are a few examples of common areas where labeling issues can create patient safety risks.

Phlebotomy Collection

Collecting and accurately identifying blood samples is often plagued by errors during manual identification of “stat” samples that need quick testing within an hour or less.

Since many healthcare facilities don’t have an easy way to identify these samples on a barcode label, it creates opportunities for identification and timing errors. If a sample is misidentified, lost, or a test doesn’t happen on time, you can end up having to do a re-draw and re-test.

Fortunately, you can automate phlebotomy collection and stat sample tracking with Zebra’s direct thermal IQ Color 2000D paper labels. These labels have colorful “tabs” that make samples immediately visible and identifiable, and you can activate the right color by using pre-printed labels with invisible inks that are activated on-demand during the label printing process.

Blood Bag Identification

Two common issues often occur with blood bag labeling for blood banks, and they involve labels fading from exposure to moisture and blood being contaminated by label adhesives that leach through blood bags.

By using Zebra’s thermal transfer 8000T primary blood bad polyethylene labels with Zebra’s 3200 wax/resin ribbon, you can put an end to both problems. Zebra’s uses specialized label adhesive to ensure that it doesn’t leach through the bag and contaminate the blood. And the label’s polypropylene material is resistant to moisture so it remains readable throughout its use.

Microscope Slide Labeling

Microscope slides for medical testing are another area where barcode labels can create problems. Contact with stains and Xylene during testing can cause labels to fall off the microscope slide or cause the image to fade and become unreadable and unscannable.

However, Zebra has created a thermal transfer Z-Xtreme 5000T polyester label and an image lock resin ribbon specifically for microscope slides.

The labels are pre-tested to ensure resistance to stains, Xylene and other chemicals used in the testing process, so your labels remain identifiable, readable and scannable. The image lock cartridge resin ribbon is available for use with Zebra’s ZD420-C printer, enabling quick and easy installation of your thermal ribbon.

Asset Tracking

Equipment isn’t always the first thing we think of in terms of patient safety risks, but assets such as wheelchairs, test equipment, beds and other items are frequently in high demand and needed in specific locations to ensure prompt and effective treatment, comfort and care.

I you don’t know where the right equipment or assets are, and you can’t get them to the right place at the right time, your patients could end up at risk. Also, if you can’t easily identify and track your equipment for inventory and to perform maintenance to keep it in good working order, this can create additional problems and headaches.

However, by using Zebra’s ZT411 RFID printer and printing and applying specialized Silverline RFID labels and tags to track metal equipment and other items, you can locate and track required medical devices and equipment remotely.

Since RFID uses wireless radio waves to identify, locate and track assets, there’s no need to conduct a visual search or scan a barcode to confirm the identity of the right item.

By installing Zebra fixed RFID readers and antennas in strategic locations throughout your facility, you can track equipment automatically as it moves from place-to-place, so you’ll always having an automated and accurate record of its last location. And the right RFID implementation, with the right devices, tags and coverage, will ensure your solution works seamlessly, even in hospital environments.

This can save your staff endless hours of searching for equipment and help you keep everything in the right place and well-maintained for on-demand use. And, most importantly, you can make sure the right equipment can be quickly retrieved or placed in the right place at the right time to ensure patient safety and timely, proper care.

To learn more about our digital starter kit for better patient safety, connect with our team at SK&T. As experts in healthcare identification, tracking and automation technologies, we can help you determine the best solutions for your patient care needs and take the right steps to improve safety throughout the continuum of care.

Contact SK&T for more info! info@skandt.com 

Here’s Why You Need Enterprise Mobile Computers

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Adoption of mobile technology continues to accelerate across the healthcare sector, with more and more organizations choosing to equip as many caregivers and staff as possible with mobile devices. Two goals are driving this transformation. First, of course, is the desire to ensure the right patient receives the right care at the right time by connecting caregivers to the data and resources they need in real time. Second, mobile solutions can help healthcare organizations streamline workflows to save both time and money.

But what about the devices they’re choosing to do the job? Can consumer-grade smartphones really match the performance and ROI of enterprise-class mobile computers over the long haul?

The short answer is no, healthcare providers should not expect consumer-grade devices to deliver the performance and value they need. Instead, most providers should focus their mobile solutions on enterprise-class devices that are purpose-built for healthcare applications.

So, what’s the difference between consumer and enterprise devices? Let’s take a brief look at three factors.

1. Enterprise-class devices have a much longer service life.

We’re all familiar with the frequent upgrade cycles of consumer smartphones, eagerly anticipating the newest and greatest model every 12 to 18 months. And that’s no accident: consumer-grade devices are designed for short lifecycles and rapid obsolescence to drive a never-ending cycle of upgrades. But that’s a terrible fit for any device that’s used in a business environment. You can’t base your ROI expectations on mobile computers that will be obsolete in two years.

Enterprise-class devices like the mobile computers made by Zebra are designed to remain in service much longer. They use the Android operating system, with the promise of regular updates and uninterrupted support for 10 years or longer. So, instead of replacing devices every few years, you can keep pace with the latest technology through simple upgrades that are much easier to incorporate into your existing workflows.

2. Enterprise-class devices are engineered for durability.

Increased durability and reduced downtime are probably the most immediate things that healthcare organizations will benefit from when they base their mobility solutions on enterprise-class devices. That’s simply because enterprise-class devices are designed for full-shift usage in workplace environments.

For instance, Zebra’s TC52-HC Mobile Computer packs all the mobile computing, clinical collaboration, and data capture features caregivers need into a device that is designed to withstand frequent exposure to common disinfectants and is tested for drop and tumble performance, and rated for use in practically any environmental conditions, including extreme temperatures and humidity.

3. Enterprise-class devices are easier to manage.

One of the big red flags of choosing consumer-grade devices for your business is that eventually you’re going to be faced with the challenge of managing security patches, OS updates, and applications across a patchwork of different models. You’ll also have to figure out how to standardize everything from Wi-Fi configuration and update settings to display and sound defaults. That’s a time-consuming task when you’re talking about consumer devices that are designed for easy personalization rather than consistency across business uses.

Enterprise-class mobile computers from Zebra are much easier to integrate into a mobile device management system, which will greatly reduce your IT workloads. You’ll have a standardized approach to security and updates, and your IT team will easily be able to integrate every enterprise device into a mobile device management system that streamlines device configuration, OS updates, and installation of your business applications.

Don’t Compromise on Your Mobility Solutions

You have a range of mobile device options but its critical to choose carefully if you want to minimize disruptions and maximize ROI from your technology investments. Consumer-grade devices may offer relatively low acquisition costs, but they risk sabotaging your investment in mobility solutions over the long run.

SK&T has decades of experience designing, deploying and supporting mobility solutions. Contact us today to learn more about Zebra’s industry-leading lineup of enterprise mobile computers for healthcare applications.