Adopting labels for storage bins in the warehouse can reduce errors and save time and money in your picking processes. Storage bin label optimization is the first step to streamlining your operations and becoming a more organized and efficient warehouse.
| In this blog post, we will discuss the top three things to consider to improve your storage bin labels before implementing them in the warehouse. |
When choosing your storage bin labels, asking the right questions can help you make the right decisions for the longevity and function of your warehouse.
Before selecting a type of storage bin label, consider all variables of your warehouse:
Labels in the warehouse need to be durable enough to survive certain extreme conditions, including varying temperatures and chemicals in the warehouse. You need to also think about the temperature at the time of application in order to make the most out of the adhesive, especially when it comes to freezing environments.
Example: The location of your bins, whether inside or outside, can introduce both humidity and light into the equation. If lack of light seems to be an issue, retroreflective bin labels can be a viable solution.
The size of your business doesn’t affect your storage bin label type because the frequency of scanning does not deteriorate the label or shorten its lifetime. However, the size of the label itself can make a considerable impact on user-friendliness and its daily usage in the warehouse.
Example: Depending on the distance between the user and the scannable material, you may benefit from a larger label. This can help reduce the time it takes the user to find the label with the scanner over a long range.
The features of your hardware, including its scanning distance capabilities, can directly affect the type of labels you need in your warehouse.
Example: If you do not have the luxury of more extended scanning capabilities, there are other organizational adjustments you can make for ease of use and compliance.
Learn how to maximize your scanner read range
Your labeling needs to make sense for your warehouse. Before moving forward with labeling, assess your racking, picking operations, and label locations. If you find that your workers are more efficient when scanning at eye level, you may need to adjust where your labels are located.
Example: If your racks are stacked high, totem labels can be situated on top of one another to access all barcodes in one easy-to-reach location. You can also consider PVC hanging signs, especially outside, to use the height of your warehouse. Hanging signs can be a helpful alternative to finding a durable solution for floor areas.
With a variety of suitable surfaces for your bins, specific labeling material can help binding last in the long term. Depending on the logistics of your business model, you may also need to consider investing in movable material.
Example: If you need a more flexible alternative, magnetic labels offer a semi-permanent solution that can be moved long after establishing a picking path. However, if you are set on the location of your bins, a more permanent adhesive can be the right fit for your warehouse.
The user experience relies inherently on the label's design, making it easier to read, scan, and guide daily use. The two requirements we advise having are a barcode and readable text for the base of your label.
Outside of these two necessities, design can include colors, arrows, logos, and more. Although we suggest logic and simplicity at the base of every design, there is no singular solution fit for all our customers due to variations in environments, needs, and warehouse conditions.
Learn how to make printing easier with a flexible, integrated solution
Although seemingly simple in its core function and design, storage bin labels are a solid foundation of bin sequencing. Labels can optimize your efficiency in multiple ways.
Bin labels can be instrumental with:
Make the most of your effort in organizing your warehouse with these tips to maximize the implementation of storage bin labels in your warehouse:
1) Create a Pick Path Before Bin Labeling
Relabeling can cost both time and money. In an effort to help reduce the risk of going over budget, arrange a warehouse pick path before labeling.
Need help finding the quickest and most ideal path?
Read more about our best sequencing practices
2) Adopt Scannable Bin Labels
Our Hardware Professional Services Team can work with you to fortify the compatibility of your scanners with the barcode labels. Be sure to test out their scanning properties before implementing them in your warehouse.
Find the best printer for barcode labels
3) Consider Using Movable Bin Labels
For a smooth transition as you adopt bin labels, choose material and other adaptations that accommodate your warehouse environment.
For example, sheet magnets can save you time and money if you find the need to reorganize your warehouse or experience a transformational shift in your product.
RF-SMART can help you optimize the foundation of your warehouse from the first day of implementation. When it comes to labels that are built to last, our labels are coated with durable material that can easily be scanned from multiple distances.
To run a successful warehouse operation, it’s all about the details. With quality labels for your storage bins, RF-SMART can handle the creation and printing, leaving you to allocate your time to your day-to-day business.
Configure and print custom labels, tags, and documents with SummitIT, an RF-SMART Printing Solution. With over 60 five-star ratings on SuiteApp, SummitIT allows users to customize and save templates, provides native label print support for several print command languages, and allows direct cloud printing of documents and labels based on automated events (user events and workflows) to trigger the printing proces.
Many RF-SMART customers on NetSuite have found success with SummitIT, including BUILT Brands who credited features like packing slip creation, exterior labeling, customized shipping labels integrated with NetSuite data, shipment accuracy verification with barcode scanning, and RF-SMART's customer support." The RF-SMART team knows their product extremely well. There were never any challenges that they couldn’t address. Their turnaround time on support is minimal," said Sam.
As BUILT continues expanding, they plan to grow their use of RF-SMART's solutions to scale up the business.
If you’re ready to optimize your warehouse with storage bin labels,
get in touch with our team to see how this can make an impactful
difference in your daily operations.