Why usability is critical for marking and coding success

What is the most important feature of marking technology? You’re probably thinking speed or precision. And while they are both important, you’d be wrong.

Arguably, the single most important feature of your marking technology is usability.

Usability will help make your operations simpler and frustration-free. It ensures there are fewer errors and more consistency. And that means more speed and precision.

So, what are we talking about when we talk about ease of use?

Here’s a breakdown:

• Simplicity – Is it straightforward for everyone to use?
• Speed – Is it quick to update and respond to instructions?
• No disruptions – Is it a smooth operator?
• Easy integration – Can you seamlessly integrate it with other equipment?
• Consistency – Is it reliable even in harsh conditions?

With those things in mind, it starts to become clear why usability is so important.

Like many other industries, marking and coding vendors often prioritize a long list of features while at the same time adding new levels of complexity. Ease of use is a much harder sell than a long list of features. But it may be the one feature that actually matters the most.

Let’s take a closer look at why usability is so critical for sustained marking and coding success:

1. Faster training and onboarding

Let’s face it: few employees like training with new systems. It takes them out of their current processes and safe zone. Every minute of training is downtime that could be spent making products.

Marking technology should be intuitive and easy to use, with minimal training. By ensuring you have an easy-to-use system, you can devote less time to upfront onboarding and ongoing training. This becomes especially important if you’re facing high levels of turnover.

2. Fewer mistakes and more consistency

With a system that’s easy to use, you can be confident in fewer mistakes in your marking process.

For example, Matthews’ MPERIA® controllers make it easy to manage batch, lot, 2D codes, barcodes, and more in your marking process through a intuitive touch-screen interface. Simple message control from a single location means fewer errors.

3. More speed and efficiency

Does the marking technology streamline your processes or add disruptions? Any technology you add to your line should deliver more speed and efficiency.

Furthermore, you should be able to integrate the marking technology with your other systems, such as your ERP and MES, to further streamline your operation. Integration goes a long toward putting your marking operation on “Easy Street.”

That’s where a platform like MPERIA comes in. It integrates seamlessly with your existing enterprise system to allow automated message updates on multiple lines from a single location, which reduces production line downtime. Your line efficiency increases and more of your products get shipped faster.

4. Save time and reduce headaches 

A good user interface design removes the stress and guesswork of using any technology. Everything will go more smoothly if you aren’t fighting with your system to make it work with your production line.

Look for marking technology that simplifies operations with an easy-to-use touchscreen controller and an intuitive user interface.

Tony Atchley from Ventura Pacific, for one, appreciates the value of usability in a marking system. Referring to MPERIA, he said the “platform is so easy to use, compared to having to operate through a small touchscreen on a localized unit, I can sit in my office with the AC on and custom modify labels and make changes on the fly.”

Time to upgrade your marking and coding solution?

See for yourself the benefits of usability – request a demo to try the MPERIA controller. Or chat with our team to find out more. Contact us on 800.775.7775 or fill out the quick form below.