THE SPECIALIST'S VISION
The continuous dynamism of an increasingly globalised market, the digitalisation of processes, the logistics boom, the unstoppable growth of online shops, the commitment to sustainability... All these aspects and more make up an increasingly demanding production sector that demands automated solutions that prioritise efficiency, productivity and quality. Labelmarket's CEO, Gabriel Gil, knows the demands of the market perfectly and assures that automation and technology, together with proximity to the customer, are some of the elements that contribute to companies becoming increasingly competitive. In this interview, Labelmarket's CEO reviews several of the key factors that have placed his company at the forefront of the design and manufacture of identification, automatic labelling and traceability solutions.
Question: Is it possible to guarantee efficient management and traceability of goods under criteria of efficiency and productivity in a market like the Spanish one?
Answer: Not only possible, but crucial, especially in a market as competitive as Spain's. In Spain, there are approximately 300 logistics platforms covering roughly 84 million square meters, and advanced solutions in automatic labeling, identification, and traceability are fundamental to optimizing every aspect of the supply chain. By integrating advanced automatic labeling systems and traceability technologies, goods management can be optimized, errors reduced to improve accuracy, and productivity increased. These systems enable efficient inventory control and seamless logistics operations, which are essential in the vast world of logistics. Among these solutions are automatic labeling systems that adapt to each client's needs to minimize errors in goods identification, accelerate picking processes, and guarantee traceability to the point of sale. These solutions are complemented by Coding and Traceability systems that integrate RFID, barcodes, and machine vision technologies for real-time tracking, identification, and quality control of goods. All of this takes place in an automated logistics environment, from the receipt of goods to their dispatch, with labeling equipment integrated with ERP and WMS systems that ensure an uninterrupted flow of information.
Q. What technology does the production sector need to ensure traceability of products from their origin to the final customer?
R. I believe a comprehensive approach is necessary, one that combines cutting-edge technologies such as RFID, IoT, blockchain, and machine vision. These systems guarantee precise, real-time tracking of products, from their origin to the end consumer, under parameters of transparency, authenticity, and control at every stage of the supply chain. In addition to RFID integration, blockchain is crucial in sectors like food, pharmaceuticals, and consumer goods because it immutably records each and every movement of products, ensuring transparency and security. Machine vision systems, combined with labeling and coding solutions, streamline the inspection of goods with the strictest quality standards to prevent defective products from slipping through. The Internet of Things (IoT) and its complementary sensor networks monitor, in real time, conditions such as humidity, light, and temperature that can affect products during storage and transport, preventing any loss of quality.
“AI in automatic coding and labeling systems optimizes logistics operations, predicts demand, adjusts inventories and optimizes transportation routes.”
Q. What role can digital tools such as artificial intelligence and machine vision play in this sector?
R. I firmly believe in the transformative power of AI and machine vision to improve efficiency and accuracy in logistics. These tools are fundamental for taking automation and traceability to the next level, thus fostering smarter and more adaptable logistics. Both tools help automate processes, optimize routes, improve quality control, and anticipate failures before they occur. But that's not all; at Labelmarket, we've seen their incredible capabilities: implementing AI in automatic coding and labeling systems helps us optimize logistics operations, predict demand, adjust inventory levels, and optimize transport routes to reduce costs. Machine vision systems automatically review and inspect goods on the production line to remove defective products and prevent them from reaching the end customer. Automatic labeling equipment dynamically adapts to different sizes, shapes, and types of products. Not to mention maintenance: thanks to AI, we anticipate potential failures in labeling and coding equipment, ensuring that the supply chain remains uninterrupted. The result we see every day with our customers is a more efficient and reliable supply chain.
“We can mitigate unscheduled production downtime with AI-based predictive maintenance, modular equipment design, and digital twins.”
Q. How can contingencies related to unscheduled stops in production processes be mitigated?
A: These types of downtime can be costly, but they can be mitigated, as I mentioned before, with AI tools for predictive maintenance, as well as with modular equipment design and the use of digital twins. Labelmarket manufactures automatic labeling equipment with a robust and modular design that facilitates maintenance and repair, allowing us to quickly replace critical components and minimize downtime. But one of the greatest benefits we can offer is comprehensive technical support and training for our equipment operators, so that any problems can be identified and resolved quickly. Additionally, we are exploring the use of digital twins to simulate and analyze the behavior of our labeling equipment under different conditions, enabling us to anticipate and prevent risks that could lead to unscheduled equipment downtime. These solutions drastically minimize the impact of such unscheduled downtime on production.
“We design and manufacture identification, automatic labelling and traceability solutions that have an extremely low failure rate, preferably below 0,1%.”
Q. What failure rate is acceptable to ensure productivity and efficiency in the logistics field?
A: In the context of manufacturing and logistics, the goal of "zero defects" is difficult to achieve, but minimizing the failure rate is fundamental to improving productivity and efficiency. As providers of identification, automatic labeling, and traceability solutions, we work to keep the failure rate extremely low, especially in critical operations, ideally below 0,1% depending on the sector. This is achieved through high-precision labeling equipment, automated verification systems, and continuous performance monitoring. While this goal is ambitious, at Labelmarket we design and manufacture extremely precise equipment that allows companies to maintain failure rates as low as 0.1%. To achieve this, we use systems that integrate machine vision; we implement redundancy systems in our equipment so that it continues operating even if a component fails; and we monitor equipment performance to identify operating patterns and detect any abnormal operation.
“We facilitate ROI with equipment that streamlines processes such as printing and applying labels, minimises errors and enables scaling operations during peak demand.”
Q. Can process automation be profitable for small and medium-sized online retailers? What advantages does it offer compared to manual processes?
A: Our experience tells us that yes, process automation is highly profitable for any company in general. Although the initial investment in automatic identification equipment and traceability systems may seem significant, the long-term benefits in terms of efficiency, error reduction, and scalability facilitate a return on investment (ROI). These solutions also improve inventory management accuracy and reduce long-term operating costs. To maximize the return on investment, we provide our clients with automatic identification solutions tailored to the specific needs of each online business. These solutions streamline processes such as label printing and application, minimize errors that occur in repetitive manual operations, and allow for scaling operations during peak demand without increasing the workforce. We also offer solutions that integrate label personalization with marketing campaigns, helping businesses create personalized experiences for their customers.
Q. What benefits does automation bring in terms of sustainability?
A. Sustainability is now a priority for both businesses and consumers, and automation has become an essential ally. With it, we optimize resource and consumable consumption, minimize waste generation with linerless equipment that reduces plastic and paper waste, and achieve energy efficiency in logistics processes. Labelmarket's smart solutions automatically adjust label and packaging sizes to the product and improve inventory management to optimize production.
All these solutions place Labelmarket at the forefront of innovation in the design of increasingly efficient, sustainable and competitive solutions in a constantly evolving global market.
