Situation Awareness

Whether you use a barcode testing service or have a barcode verifier onsite, you get more than just problem-solving.  An analogy that works for me is the radar detector. Back in my motorcycling days, I had a radar detector on my motorcycle. I had no intention of breaking the law, but I was so busy paying attention to the bike and the constantly changing surroundings, it was helpful to have that constant monitor keeping me compliant. Similar to a busy printing operation, which can be a dynamic, fast-changing environment.

• every job is different
• every job seems to be a rush job
• different substrates with different characteristics
• imaging pigments react differently to the substrate
• printing technologies don’t always behave uniformly over time
• print speed affects image quality
• barcode orientation affects print quality
• lamination affects an otherwise perfect image
• Tight spaces threaten quiet zones
• color requirements challenge scanability

Change happens. That is the only constant. You may not be aware of the speed you have picked up on a long, downhill grade, but a radar detector will bring you out of complacency, into vigilance if a speed trap or a sudden curve awaits you at the bottom of the hill. Situation awareness is a best practice.

Situation Awareness

Printing processes experience changes over time: time measured in minutes and impressions as well as months and years of machine service. Printing plates degrade with use and storage. Thermal print heads wear and fail; ink nozzles clog; rollers flex and warp, bearings wear. Suppliers’ sources change, the incoming substrates and inks are not the same today as they were last year, or last month. Like a downhill grade in a smooth, quiet car, the changes can be subtle but the consequences can be significant and expensive. Situation awareness is smart. And wise.

Thanks to Raimond Klavins on Unsplash

A barcode verifier provides the situation awareness that protects you. A label or package printer’s liability is no less significant than that of the brand owner if the barcode fails to scan. A barcode verifier detects and reports subtle changes that may not be causing a failure yet—changes that a scanner or a smartphone doesn’t detect and can’t report. Verification over time, during a print run, alerts you to a changing situation leading to a future failure. The verifier predicts a problem before it has happened. It provides situation awareness. Over time, the verifier can show trends, allowing you to know if preventive steps are needed.

Prevention Pays for Itself

Is the cost of situation awareness justifiable? My objective in buying a radar detector was not to protect me from intentional speeding. It was to keep me alert and aware of my surroundings. A mid-range model of a known brand was the right choice for me. It seemed expensive but the cost would be saved if it prevented only 1 or 2 speeding tickets.

It is no different with a barcode verifier. They pay for themselves by preserving the confidence of customers by preventing the stress and disruption of bad barcodes. They pay for themselves by maintaining the loyalty of customers who have never had a barcode problem, and earning the loyalty of customers, old and new.

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