SAP Label Management – the right label at the right place
Wen labels are not specifically printed to a process but are linked to a master data object (material, customer, batch, …), this is a classic task for label management..
Labels with label management can be:
- Product labels
- Instruction leaflet
- Customer-specific goods receipt labels
- Customer- and product-specific shipping and packaging labels
If a label management is not available, the process of label printing is usually associated with high costs. Several employees are involved in label layouting, they manually enter variable data such as material, batch, serial or production order number, print the labels in a certain number, and assign them to a particular operation, e.g. to a production order..
This manual type of label printing is characterized by:
- High costs. Several employees are solely concerned with labeling.
- High error rate. Incorrect entries of a document number result in incorrect labeling.
- High number of misprints. Due to input errors or incorrect number of labels, a high waste of labels is produced.
- Label printing and label management are organizational challenges par exelence. It is an integrative cross-section task from the areas of master data and process management, quality management, label layout and ABAP programming.
- Informations about the label printing process must be requested by the project team with the responsible persons.
- All labels have to be considered and have to be grouped according to suitable criteria.
- The labels are assigned to application objects and print moments in SAP.
Our services for you
1 In an initial workshop we meet the requirements. All labels have to be considered. Patterns are identified from the variety of labels and the labels are grouped by certain criteria.
2 In a second step, the technology of label management is identified. E.g.:
- Customer-specific label management. This approach is useful if the number of labels and the size of the features are manageable and the print process can be started directly from SAP.
- Third-party label management in SAP. This alternative is selected when the number of labels and features are relatively large. The print process and the label layout ere done in an external label program.
- Label management outside of SAP with an interface. This solution can be considered if there already exist a sophisticated label management. The new installation of a label management in SAP would require more effort than an interface to SAP.
3 In a third step, all attributes are stored in master data objects in SAP. This can be:
- Material master,
- Classification,
- customer and verndor master etc.
A decision is done where the graphics are stored, whether in SAP, on a content server or in a local directory at the location of the label printing.
4 In a fourth step, an ABAP program is developed that collects the data from the application and master data object, identifies the label to be printed and starts the label printing.
5 In a fifth step, a process is defined how the label design is done and how the release procedure for a label looks like. Based on this, a test program is developed that meets the quality requirements in the design and approval process.
Optionally, special topics are discussed. Such special topics can be:
- Label archiving
- Link labels to document management
- Printer architecture for cross-company label printing
Further information about Label Management in SAP
The topic of “Label Management in SAP” is closely related to the label printing in SAP.
Label printing in SAP →
Label management in SAP is also one of the special topics in SAP form development.
Special topics →
Information on label management in SAP label printing is also available at membrain.
Continue to membrain →
Case Studies for Label Management in SAP
How a SAP label management is implemented in detail, please have a look on our case studies.
Case Study: Customer-Specific Label Management in SAP
A furniture manufacturer produces shelves and sells them
a) under his own name or otherwise
b) under the respective trade mark of the dealer.
During the manufacturing process, cartons with the furniture in them are labeled on the packaging machine.
Customer-specific Label Management in SAP →
Case Study: Label Management with membrain
A manufacturer and distributor of medical products produces and distributes materials and parts for hospitals. The products are subject to strict approval criteria and must be clearly labeled. The following information is available on the product labels.
Label Management with membrain →
