A date coder plays an integral role in many types of product-based businesses, and it could be very beneficial to yours. This, of course, will depend on any specific industry requirements and particular products you are packaging. Here we break down what a date coder is and what advantageous this type of machine can provide for your business.
Date Coding Defined Coding is defined as the process of using a combination of numbers, letters, and/or images as a way to identify product information about a specific product that is then marked onto the container or packaging. Part of this product information would be a date, which could be an expiration date if it is a perishable item like food or a beverage, for example. Or, it could be a date that helps track production and delivery as part of supply chain management.
It’s Required If your business needs to work with dates, especially in relation to mandated requirements that state you must print them on a package, then you need a date coder. Requirements with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are increasing in terms of what type of date and other information should be included for each product type, as well as how this data should be placed so that it’s in a prominent location. This may mean changing the way you had previously included this information on product packaging. For many companies, new regulations are requiring equipment upgrades to ensure compliance. Today’s breed of date coder machines can add dates and other codes to all types of target materials, including glass, plastic, metal, film or fiber-based boxes or cases.
A Competitive Advantage Not only will this type of equipment help you meet new requirements, but it could also provide a way to gain a marketplace edge by putting your item above the rest of the market in terms of presentation/shelving, delivery, reliability and other merchandising concerns. That’s because these machines employ innovative technological advancements that provide a higher level of accuracy, also producing more consistency no matter what the batch size or run length.
Market and Strategy Changes Modern date coders are highly sophisticated machines that may do more than your business requires right now, but needs change in line with fluctuating coding requirements, volume expectations, and packaging materials and sizes. Therefore, installing a scalable machine like this now will help you address future needs without making further large capital investments.
In Review In reviewing the main reasons why you need a date coder for your business, here is a summary of the main ideas:
- It’s a requirement that you need to put dates on your products.
- It allows you to be more flexible with where you put dates or what type of packaging you can use.
- It offers a competitive advantage in terms of presentation, delivery, and reliability.
- It addresses future market and strategy changes now so you can respond quickly.
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