Smart Labelling and Product Identification: The Backbone of Compliance and Industry 4.0 Evolution

Innovative technologies are becoming increasingly fundamental to manufacturing companies, supply chains, and other company operations. Many modern industries are embracing the likes of artificial intelligence (AI), automation and smart technology to support digital transformation and productivity.

Also, the advancement of modern tech means labels are no longer restricted to static barcodes, as they now feature embedded QR codes, NFC tags, smart sensors, or RFID chips to support continual tracking and updates.

As industries must adhere to strict regulations, it is a game-changing technology that could help companies remain legally compliant while improving their operational efficiency. As a result, smart labelling and product identification are becoming the backbone of the compliance and industry 4.0 evolution. Continue reading to learn more.

The Strategic Importance of Product Identification in Modern Industry

Modern companies face more pressures than ever to adhere to various legal requirements. Industries must provide proof of a product’s sourcing and journey through the supply chain. For instance, they’ll need to provide details on the raw materials' journey to the business.

As mentioned, labels offer much more than static barcodes nowadays, as they feature RFID chips, smart sensors, NFC tags, or dynamic QR codes for accurate tracking and internal updates. The smart identification can then support authentication and compliance reporting to adhere to various EU, GS1, ISO, or FDA regulations, to name a few.

Safety and facility identification products are, therefore, enhancing product traceability, compliance, and market access for companies across various industries, such as aerospace, food, manufacturing, or pharmaceuticals.

Building an Ecosystem Around Product Identification

Of course, you might be eager to learn more about the product identification ecosystem before the business invests in it.

Here’s a rundown of the technologies you’ll need to introduce:

Identifiers: You have a choice of codes to mark specific products, such as NFC tags, RFID chips, dynamic QR codes, or barcodes, to name a few.
Hardware: scanning devices (such as RFID readers or barcode scanners), labelling technologies (e.g. etching machines, laser markers, or printers).
Data management services: Think Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), ERP systems, or Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES).
Software: The likes of APIs, IoT networks, and cloud-based systems will provide real-time identity data for compliance and efficiency.

The above can be sourced from various forward-thinking label manufacturers, marking solution providers, and system integrators.

Standardisation of the above provides the technologies with a common language to simplify usage and compliance. The hardware, software, and data management services are designed to work seamlessly together. For instance, a barcode from one company can be read using a scanner from another business.

Innovations Shaping the Future: RFID, IoT, and Industry 4.0

Identification technologies are helping to streamline data capture. For instance, rather than an employee manually scanning a traditional barcode and entering the data into a spreadsheet, an RFID chip, NFC tag, or smart sensor can capture identification data automatically without the need for a staff member.

As the data lives in the cloud, it can be accessed via systems, machines, or partners with permission to access the data from anywhere in the world. The accumulated data can then be used to make smarter business decisions, such as quality improvements, predictive maintenance, production optimisation, and more.

Conclusion

As almost every industry is saturated by competition, it is essential to look for ways to gain a competitive advantage. Product identification will make your business smarter, more connected, and more sustainable while helping it remain legally compliant.

It’s a powerful way to improve product traceability, increase market access, and adhere to various regulations. Investing in innovative identification solutions might require a significant sum, but it could help your business remain competitive in an evolving industrial world.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Bdaily Publishing .