Taking CARE LABELING to the Next Level

Bobbin, Oct, 1999

The company recently upgraded the PkMS system, and is beginning to realize the advantages that could be gained by fully integrating the Avery Dennison labeling system with PkMS. For instance, bar codes could be printed on garment care labels, which could be scanned in the DC as a means of tracking the garments.

While O'Bryan Brothers has taken a big step toward streamlining its care labeling processes, the company plans to continue to upgrade and look toward implementing the latest technological advancements to stay ahead of the curve.

Hairston says he realizes now that finding the right piece to the technology puzzle takes time, trials and sometimes, a beta test. Looking back on O'Bryan Brothers' most recent beta testing experience and looking forward to the next opportunity to explore a new development, he emphasizes: "When you convert any available technologies into your DCs, you have to make sure that they're not only compatible on a technical level, but that they ultimately work together to meet your goals."

Shawn Meadows is assistant editor of Bobbin.

Corset Shop Opts for Labeling Upgrade

Cost justification, quick implementation and service were major concerns for Corset Shop when the ladies' underwear and sleepwear firm was faced with the need to replace outdated labeling equipment with more complex new machinery.

But the alternatives -- including poor quality labels, production/distribution bottlenecks and in a worst-case scenario, shutdown -- far outweighed any reservations.

As in the case of O'Bryan Brothers (see "Taking Care Labeling to the Next Level," page 38), Corset Shop found itself saddled with labeling difficulties that threatened to disrupt its otherwise efficient warehousing and distribution operations.

The company's up-to-date distribution center (DC) in Newark, NJ, ships 6 million to 8 million garments annually to a national retail chain, as well as five company-owned Corset Shop specialty stores in the northeastern United States. In addition, the DC supports direct-to-consumer Internet sales from Corset Shop's on-line store, which operates under the name "Bare Necessities."

The company realized its labeling operations were problematic when it tried to begin printing tickets with not only UPC bar codes but also garment size, style and price information. "We had trouble with our old bar code scanners," explains Dennis Hanvey, operations manager. "They kept breaking down and as a result backed up our production line."

With the prospect of failed production goals looming as inevitable, Hanvey contacted Jim Graziano, a systems consultant at Calmon USA, and asked him to perform a cost/quality analysis of Corset Shop's tag printing operations.

"The DC was pretty much up to date in terms of technology, but they had three machines for doing tags, and none of them were efficient," recalls Graziano. "The old machines had footprints that were too large, they were hard to connect to a mainframe and seemed to be unreliable. Quite simply, Corset Shop needed a solution that would help it keep up with production demands."