If you’re trying to maintain a high level of operational efficiency and profitability, you don’t want to see downtime, interruptions, or hidden costs. Many companies end up dealing with these headaches from an unexpected and often hidden cause. It’s something that seems ridiculously simple, but it adds up quickly over time. The culprit? Your choice of printing supplies.

It happens when companies use inexpensive, low-quality barcode labels and printing supplies, or the wrong type of supplies for their application.

In this article, we explain some common issues and how to prevent them by making a smarter up-front investment in pre-tested, high-quality labels and printing supplies.

Barcode Scanning Failure

There are a number of ways that cheap, low-quality printing supplies can slow down or halt business-critical processes and create hidden costs. One way is a barcode that cannot be read by the scanner.

Seamless scanning starts with having the right labels and supplies to ensure good print quality and barcode scannability. For thermal barcode labeling, it’s crucial to use the right labels with the right ribbon and materials, so labels are printed correctly and withstand the temperatures and conditions of the scanning environment.

Poorly printed, smudged, or unscannable barcodes can slow your processes down. This results in wasted time and expense to re-print and re-scan the barcode labels. Not only will this interrupt internal operations but can also wreak havoc with customers who require quality barcode readability; which can result in expensive chargebacks for non-compliance if barcodes are deemed unreadable during your customers’ receiving process.

Label Adhesive Failure

If barcode labels fail to adhere to shelving, shipments and inventory materials, workers will struggle to locate, identify or scan them. This is a common problem, particularly in unique applications like cold storage, where a specialized label is needed for exposure to extreme temperatures, abrasion, chemicals, or indoor/outdoor environments.

Many businesses make the mistake of purchasing low-cost labels that aren’t designed to meet their unique demands. This results in interruptions in scanning and tracking that can cause delayed shipments, lost inventory, disruptions to supply chain processes and even non-compliance fees and chargebacks.

Premature Printhead Replacement

The most expensive single problem that can occur with using the wrong labels or low-quality materials is premature printhead replacement.

Printheads are consumables, and inevitably need to be replaced from time to time. But this can cost hundreds of dollars or more, so you’ll want to maximize printhead life and minimize replacement needs. This can be accomplished by carefully matching the type of label needed to the type of material being labeled; this will minimize printhead wear and avoid reliance on excessive print darkness.

Gain efficiency and minimize costs

The best way to ensure uninterrupted barcode scanning and avoid the hidden costs of barcode printing is to choose higher quality supplies. This is why our team at MSM Solutions recommends pre-tested, high-quality Zebra printing supplies.

Zebra has an impeccable track record of producing outstanding supplies based on ISO9001:2008 quality procedures. It offers the industry’s best selection of supplies, including 500 stock options with over 1,000 possible combinations, plus an R&D team that designs custom supplies solutions for any application.

All Zebra supplies are rigorously tested for print quality, adhesive strength, unique application requirements, and minimizing printhead wear. In fact, if you use Zebra printers and agree to use Zebra supplies exclusively, you get 100% guaranteed protection against premature printhead wear. If a printhead ever needs to be replaced too soon, it will be covered at no cost.

To learn more about Zebra supplies and get expert advice to help you choose the right combinations for your application, contact us today for a free consultation.