Being environmentally conscious in the digital age is crucial for retailers. As consumer and global attention intensifies towards waste reduction, aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, brands must prioritize the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) of their manufacturing and production facilities. The primary goal of any OEE initiative is to minimize and eliminate prevalent causes of productivity loss in manufacturing equipment. This includes addressing availability loss, unplanned/planned stops, performance loss, slow cycles, quality loss, and production rejects.

By focusing on OEE, brands can reduce waste and enhance their commitment to environmental sustainability.

Reducing stoppages, waiting times, and over-production is crucial for companies aiming to protect and enhance their brand reputation through accurate product packaging information. Coding and marking play a vital role in providing essential details such as traceable QR codes and expiry dates. Late-stage configurations enabled by coding and marking can contribute to supply chain waste, making automation a key solution.

Manual coding stations are prone to errors, leading to recalls, fines from regulators, and potential damage to partnerships. Automating the coding process minimizes stoppages, waiting times, and over-production. Automation allows for direct coding from an ERP system, eliminating manual data entry and reducing associated waste. Job changeovers are automated, eliminating downtime, and vision systems ensure real-time validation of each code, preventing errors.

Automation also addresses the growing demand for personalization in consumer products. For example, the ‘Share a Coke’ campaign by Coca Cola involves smaller runs on the production line but requires efficient management to prevent waste. Automated coding and marking systems streamline this process, ensuring efficiency, reducing errors, and meeting quality and reliability expectations.

Manufacturers need to take waste reduction seriously, identifying points of inefficiency in the supply chain. Automating coding and marking stations helps eliminate wasteful products, save time and costs, and improve product quality consistently. This approach not only strengthens relationships with retailers but also opens opportunities for increased production.