Würth partners with NiceLabel to transform supplier labelling

Packaging Solutions

Würth IT has selected NiceLabel to help it create a new web based standardised supplier labelling process.

To achieve this, Würth IT decided to replace its existing custom built labelling solution with NiceLabel’s flexible web based printing solution, the NiceLabel Label Management System.

Simon Koch, project lead/manager at Würth, said: ‘We wanted a system that would be available round the clock, offer a centralised database we could provide our suppliers without installation and deal with various printer brands and models. The NiceLabel Label Management System fitted the bill.’

Würth IT has now implemented the system for its supplier labelling globally. Today, approximately 180 suppliers in 15 countries worldwide are using it. As of January 2020, its suppliers print approximately 8.5 million labels a year using NiceLabel’s web based printing solution.

Introducing a web based, standardised solution has significantly impacted Würth’s agility. With a centralised database (document management system) containing all label information, the company can ensure changes are quickly rolled out across its supplier network.

Simon added, ‘Now, when we make label changes, they are deployed instantly, so our suppliers’ labels are always up to date. That is the biggest advantage of the new system. We can react fast and deploy changes faster.’

Würth IT additionally benefits from centralising user management and record keeping. It always has a complete overview of the suppliers accessing the system and a complete print history. The web based printing solution ensures users are always using the correct version of the label and data.

NiceLabel has also helped Würth IT improve its supplier onboarding process. ‘Suppliers like to have a trial version first, to see if the software works with their internal infrastructure,’ said Simon. By using NiceLabel’s Cloud version of the NiceLabel platform, suppliers have an easy way of gaining access to the system, so they can familiarise themselves with its functionality prior to a full scale private cloud implementation.

‘With cloud, it only takes five minutes for them to get access to the platform, and then, if they decide to work with it, we can transfer them to our private cloud system,’ he explained. ‘Going from a CD based installation process to a web driven one has significantly eased the burden on our IT teams.’

Working together with Würth IT, NiceLabel has also developed other ‘internal’ label printing solutions that address the company’s box and rack labelling needs. To meet Würth’s box label printing needs, the NiceLabel team developed an integration with Würth’s central ERP system WS1, which is based on SAP.

It can trigger printing in three ways, via the SAP Graphic User Interface (GUI), via a mobile printer or where the SAP GUI launches a NiceLabel form and transfers the data. This integration means that NiceLabel is a WS1 ready solution, which can be implemented to meet the labelling needs of all companies in the group, once they are transitioned to the approved WS1 system.

Ken Moir, NiceLabel vice president of marketing, said: ‘It is great to see Würth IT makes such extensive use of our Label Management System and achieves so many benefits with it. We are pleased to have the opportunity to work closely with them to develop a global platform for labelling that will meet their current and future needs and address requirements more widely across the Würth Group.’