Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, supported by Barcoding, Inc., relies on BarTender software for efficient tracking and labeling throughout their supply chain, ensuring compliance and accuracy in product manufacturing and distribution for over 15 years.

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) plays a pivotal role in the global power sector by providing innovative solutions that enhance the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity. Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories’ product portfolio includes technologies designed to protect, control, monitor, and automate power infrastructure across the globe, ensuring the reliability and efficiency of electrical systems.

SEL uses BarTender’s automated label printing and distribution at every stage of the business process. “All the key data sits in our Microsoft Dynamics AX ERP”, explains Forsmann, “which is fully integrated with BarTender. So, Dynamics sends information directly to BarTender, which embeds that information into the label and manages the printing. Every product is built to order, to the client’s exact configuration. BarTender takes the ERP data that is captured from the customer’s order and uses it to create tailored labeling information specific to the product configuration. The integration between BarTender and Dynamics AX leaves no scope for error.”  

BarTender is used at every stage in Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories’ manufacturing and supply chain process, from receiving parts into the warehouse, to final assembly, to the products being shipped and used by clients in the field:

1. Parts management – key information about every part is captured on the labels.
2. Warehouse management – shelf labels, enabling parts to be efficiently put away and picked. 
3. Inventory management – labels are used to count stock levels for the automated reordering system, where stock is replenished once it drops below a threshold quantity.
4. Assembly – every printed circuit board (PCB) has a unique batch ID and is labeled accordingly. The labels are read with handheld or fixed scanners along the production line, so that each one can be tracked throughout the manufacturing/assembly process.  
5. Finished goods – finished goods are labeled with their configuration details, integrated directly into BarTender from the client’s order in Dynamics AX, ensuring complete accuracy.  
6. Compliance – products must be fully compliant with the standards for electrical products in the countries where they will be used. SEL must show that it meets the standards for each country, and this process is managed by printing country specific labels, managed by BarTender.  
7. Shipping labels – the packaging is labeled to show key information including the sales order, configuration, and items in the package. Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories delivery partner, FedEx, then adds their own label with specific delivery information.
8. Installation guides – SEL provides installation and usage guides to clients, with images and graphics for clear explanation. These need to be in the client’s local language, so SEL uses an internal use barcode enabling the customer to access the right information, based on details stored in Microsoft Dynamics AX.
9. Modifications – labels include configuration information and usage instructions if a customer makes a modification to the product in the field (such as a change in voltage), SEL sends them a new label as part of the change kit, to ensure that the adapted product is always appropriately identified.  

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories has been a longtime BarTender power user for over 15 years. BarTender is well integrated with all the other business applications and processes, providing stability and reliability for the company’s labeling operations. With hundreds of printers across 11 locations, SEL relies on smooth labeling to keep products moving down the supply chain.