Can our existing scale and printer be used, or do we have to buy new ones?
In most cases the existing hardware can be used. The deciding factor is whether the device exposes data: a scale that can send its weight over a serial port or the network, and a label printer that accepts its own command language, are enough. If an older device cannot do that, we say so at discovery and put the replacement cost and the alternatives in front of you. Selling new hardware up front is not something we run as a business model.
Is it just a label-printing program, or does it connect to stock as well?
Both are possible, and the choice is yours. It can be set up as a standalone station that only prints labels, or so that every printed label is written into the system as a stock movement. The second is more valuable, because the label is already the most natural recording point in production and dispatch — but installing simply first and connecting later is also a sound sequence.
Have you actually done this before?
Yes. For one business we built a weighing and labelling station that joins the scale to the label printer and runs on a product list of more than two hundred items: the operator selects the product, the scale sends the weight, the label prints with the batch details. We don't name the customer, but we can walk you through the method and the problems we met in detail at the discovery meeting.
Can you produce the label format our export customer requires?
Usually yes. Give us the buyer's label instruction (dimensions, field layout, barcode type, mandatory fields) and we define it as a template; on later shipments, selecting that customer brings up the correct template automatically. If the instruction is unclear, or the standard requires pre-registration in the buyer's own system, we say so up front and list the necessary steps.
If the label printer breaks down, does production stop?
We address that risk during installation. A backup printer is defined and can be brought online in a single step; a field note is left covering roll changes, head cleaning and the most common faults. Labels that could not be printed are also queued and printed in order once the printer is back; a skipped label never disappears silently.
What should we put inside the QR code?
There is no standard answer — it depends on the sector and the purpose. In food it is typically the product code, batch and production or expiry date; in dispatch, the pallet and carton identity; in consumer-facing use, a verification address. What matters is deciding the content once and printing it in the same structure on every label. We take that decision together at discovery and put it in writing.
How long does it take, and what drives the cost?
The number of label variants, the number of scales and printers to integrate, and the depth of the stock connection are what decide it. A single-station setup with a few templates and a multi-point system with a pallet chain writing into the ERP are different jobs. That is why we start with discovery and a single-station pilot, and take the roll-out decision with you once the results are in.
Can we change the label templates ourselves later on?
That is the goal. Templates are defined inside the system, and the field layout and texts can be edited from the admin screen; renaming a product or adding a new field doesn't require us. When a new barcode standard or a substantial redesign is needed, we provide support. The source code and templates are handed over to you in any case.