A label must be created in BarTender and then designed in the MES UI to manage versions, approvals (if required), label reviews, printing, history and tracking.
Label Model
The label model consists of label type, label design and label design versions.
- Label Type: Specifies if the label is product related and the approval requirements for getting labels of this type to production.
- Label Design: Specifies the label name, type and default number of labels to print.
- Label Design Version: Specifies the label design including BarTender design template, the source data (SQL statement). and the definition of the label field data sources that will be used.
Label Types
Label Types allow you to:
- Define the degree of control you want.
- Define whether labels of this type are product specific or not product specific.
- Configure controls and permissions required for approval of creation and updates.
This enables you to adapt the system to a range of use cases, from highly regulated environments with strict product labelling requirements to simple internal tote/traveller labels.
Label Design Versions
Specifies the label design, including:
- BarTender design template (.btw file).
- Definition of the label field data sources that will be used.
Examples of label field sources are:
- Product Data: Product Name and Description.
- Prompt: Data entered by the operator, e.g., exact weight.
- SQL Query: Manufacturing data, e.g., expiry date.
- Literal: Factory address.
The two types of labels are standard and product specific.
Standard Label
Standard labels are used where a common label design is used across many products. They are typically used in less regulated environments where specific approval to use a label on a product is not required. Active standard labels may be used on any product.
Product Specific Label
Product specific labels are typically used in more regulated environments where specific label data must be defined and approved on a per-product basis before use.
A product label is a clear link between a specific product and a specific label design version. Customers frequently have to manage hundreds of products, each with its own unique label.
Effective change management and approval processes for product labels are essential to ensure that the correct label is produced with accurate information in the appropriate language, regardless of changing requirements.
Without this crucial control, there is a heightened risk of significant negative impacts on quality, brand equity, and costs.
Changes might include:
Individual new products being added to a range that has a standard label design.
A brand new product range being introduced with a new design.
A change of regulations or production process, requiring an update to information displayed across a range of products.
A change of branding, which is reflected in the label content.
Change of label dimensions or materials.
An update to translations (change to existing translation or addition of new translation).
All of these changes must go through the approvals process.
MES offers a tool to help manage this, including the ability to group labels approvals into a defined approvals process to help facilitate and control updates.
Reference and Approval Images
When managing product label versions, there are two types of images used:
Reference Images: These images are directly linked to the product label version and can be viewed during the approvals process. Operators can also access them on the workstation for quality checks. Reference images can be generated in two ways from the product label test print:
- By using the option Update Product Label Reference Image.
- By physically printing a label, scanning it, and uploading the image (test print, then edit the product label version to upload the reference image).
Approval Images: These images are used to retain and display evidence for labels printed during the approvals process. They are particularly useful when approving a range of product labels under one process, allowing the use of one example print to facilitate this. Approval images must be uploaded by creating a physical test print, scanning it, and then uploading the image.
The decision to use Reference and/or Approval Images will depend on business requirements, the level of regulatory control, and the nature of the change. Approvers may reject the label(s) if insufficient evidence is provided.
Notify Approvers
You can trigger emails from the system to key users, prompting them to log in and advance the approvals process. To do this, simply select the appropriate role and then choose the user.
Ensure that the selected user has the necessary permissions configured for the specific label type.
Label fields
Once you have a design and version in place, you need to define where the data will be sourced from for each of the fields in the label.
Workflow Configurations
After creating the label you need to configure it in a workflow to enable printing of the label. There are two label print action options:
- Label Print: Relates to standard labels and there is no preview of the label.
- Label Print With Preview: These are product related labels. You can preview and have the option to scan the previewed label.
