BarTender helps a multinational chemical manufacturer gain deeper insights into their logistics, granular traceability, and require less labeling assistance across its supply chain.

SPB Global develops and manufactures home cleaning and personal care products. With over 40 years of experience in the chemical industry, what started out as a small family business in its home market of Spain has become a national benchmark operating across more than 20 countries.

A global enterprise on par with leading players in the international market, SPB partnered with Multicode Mobile to incorporate BarTender during migration of its ERP system to SAP.

Challenge:

Seeking a labeling solution that supports better organization, stronger data capabilities, and improved forecasting

European labeling processes are complex, forcing businesses to navigate conflicting regulations between sectors.

SPB Global works with more than 25,000 outlets in 30 countries, including half of the retail chains in Europe’s top 20 market retailers. To help continue this growth, in 2021 SPB Global looked to migrate its ERP processes to SAP. Part of their effort to drive innovation and efficiency included simplifying labeling processes and boosting productivity.

SPB chose Multicode Mobile, a systems integrator experienced in identification, traceability, and logistics management solutions, to carry out the system's SAP integration. Multicode Mobile’s assignment at SPB Global included automating labeling processes and increasing operator productivity, which led them to select BarTender.

Multicode Mobile developed a web portal, integrating BarTender into the SAP deployment. The portal provides reports and control of data, labels, and printing, and designated users can access it from anywhere in the world where they perform label production.

Multicode Mobile also implemented RFID labeling and product traceability management solutions in several logistics centers, ensuring total control of product traceability, and providing additional economies and efficiencies.

Solution:

Integrating the world's leading product labeling software with SAP

Because of its international presence, SPB requires millions of labels to accommodate different languages and regulations. By integrating BarTender with SAP, SPB has achieved tighter logistics, better automation and product traceability, and sees less need for labeling assistance across the supply chain.

Data is obtained from SAP and other systems that interface with the company’s label production. All label fields—text, graphics, and barcodes—are automatically completed on each label, driven by BarTender’s connection to master data. Integrating labeling software with SAP also offers the company detailed reporting capabilities, and captures a complete print history to ensure security and traceability all along the supply chain.

The switch to BarTender has simplified the tasks of registering finished products, relabeling, and shipping in the plant. Users at SPB Global have quickly adapted to the new system—the departments and employees involved cite the system's ease of use. The company’s IT team is now able to work on other projects, rather than systems integration and maintenance.

BarTender also manages printing through Zebra printers for the company’s manual labeling, and SATO print engines in automatic labeling mode. By enabling a single source of truth strategy and reducing the potential for human error inherent to manual processes, the company has reaped the benefits of increased accuracy. SPB has recorded a 15% increase in productivity, fewer errors, and more efficient labeling data integration.

With the new system, SPB now has built-in scalability and growth potential. And because a product’s text and multiple translations can be managed in a single BarTender label file, obstacles to international growth like different languages and geographical borders, have been significantly reduced.