Software system integration is a key tool used by businesses to enhance operations. Instead of each software application existing in its own silo, system integration allows separate applications to talk to each other. Integrating disjointed software solutions is commonly viewed as a challenge, but at TEKLYNX, we offer four main ways to integrate labeling systems with your existing technology stack.
Labeling systems are a prime candidate for integration because they require accurate data that is generally housed within other software systems. In this blog, we’ll dive into the four ways labeling systems can be integrated with other business systems.
Integration & Automation Consult
Integrating your labeling system with your existing business tools has several compelling benefits.
Read real life labeling integration success stories from companies of all sizes.
Now, let’s dive into the four main ways we guide TEKLYNX customers through labeling system integration.
Database connections are a powerful first step to labeling system integration. Available in all TEKLYNX label design solutions, connecting your labeling software to your business database makes it easy to get the right data printed on your labels.
With a database connection set up, you can page through database records to view live data on your label template. At print time, you can select the database record(s) you wish to print or print all records.
Watch our detailed training webinar, Creating Database Connections with TEKLYNX Software.
Building database connections in your label design software is the first step to labeling system integration. Accuracy and efficiency increase, but your users still need to open the label design software to print labels. A fully automated label printing system eliminates this for maximum efficiency.
While some claim that full automation requires deep programmatic integration, TEKLYNX offers a better solution. Fully automated label printing is possible with a low-code integration method.
First, let’s define “fully automated label printing.” This means that the moment an action occurs in your business system, accurate labels are printed in less than one second. That’s fast!
The action that triggers a label or document print job could be anything that makes sense for your business. We often see print jobs triggered by a work order being sent to production, order status being changed to “Ready for Shipping,” or clicking a button in the ERP system. When this action occurs, your business system will either add a record to a database or export a file to a watch folder. SENTINEL, our label print automation solution, catches this data and instantly triggers a label print job to the defined printer.
The best part about this method of integrating your labeling system is that it involves little to no programming or training. When it’s time to upgrade your business system, the impact on your labeling process is usually very minimal and production can continue without interruption.
RESTful API has become a popular approach for building labeling system integrations that are easy to use, flexible, and scalable. According to TEKLYNX Sales Engineer, Robert Lenski, “At least 4 out of 5 new customers will use REST. It is the same use case as it always has been, but a much more modern communication method for anyone trying to integrate their technology stack.”
Integration via RESTful API has many advantages, including bi-directional communication between systems. Instead of your label printing system simply receiving data, you can now send a response back from the printing system via RESTful API to your business system.
This bi-directional communication allows you to see whether a print job was completed and any errors that may have occurred.
Learn more about the future of RESTful API labeling systems.
While a universal, low-code integration is a great solution for most companies, sometimes a business requires a custom label printing solution. TEKLYNX offers a robust set of tools to build the ideal label printing solution for end users and software developers alike.
CODESOFT is our enterprise-level label design solution. Paired with the API add-on, it enables customers to combine business logic with label printing.
The typical CODESOFT + API customer has a custom application that handles some aspects of their production process and often has in-house development resources. Integrating the CODESOFT + API with the custom application allows real-time data to be pulled into the label template.
One exciting use case for CODESOFT + API is a custom integration with a popular Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS). Test results from the LIMS are gathered, placed onto the label template, and printed. The end user never interacts with CODESOFT, just the custom application. This is just one example of creative label integration solutions made possible by CODESOFT + API.
The TEKLYNX SDK offers labeling integration fit for large -scale applications. Independent software developers can use the TEKLYNX SDK to integrate high-quality, proven label printing technology into their own solutions.
With the TEKLYNX SDK, not only does the end user never interact with the label design solution, but the labeling software doesn’t even have to be installed on each workstation.
Learn more about label system integration and automation in my on-demand webinar, Modern Approaches to Automating Label Printing: 3 Powerful Methods. Hear use cases and user stories for CODESOFT + API, SENTINEL, and the TEKLYNX SDK. The recording is available now.
Ready to chat with a TEKLYNX integration expert about your labeling integration needs? Get in touch with us today.
Nick Recht is the Sales Manager for the Americas region at TEKLYNX RFID and barcode label solution provider. He leverages his passion for using technology to add value to businesses and his 15 years of AIDC experience to help organizations of all sizes barcode better. When he is not working, he is driving one of his daughters to a practice of some sort or doing a project around the house.
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