For many retail stores, the most common type of signage used in store consists of paper signage and shelf edge labels. This type of point-of-sale signage has proven to be highly effective at communicating pricing, promotions, and other important information to retail customers. It is also very important for shelf edge labels and paper signage to be as accurate and up to date as possible.
The process of designing, printing, and placing paper signage and shelf edge labeling can be rather cumbersome for some retail stores. Depending on the process used by each retail company, store employees may need to wait for a change to come down from a central office and then print the signage using a computer in the back office. The printed signage and shelf tags then need to be taken to the shop floor for labeling. With each part of the process taken care of separately, there is a risk of wasted materials and inaccurate labeling.
The best way to ensure fast and accurate labeling is to integrate these tasks so they can be managed with one solution. The ECS5 Media Suite from ECS Global Inc. allows for accurate and efficient paper signage and shelf edge labeling printing. This software solution allows you to design and update paper signage and shelf tags and manage the printing of new batches. ECS5 also integrates planogram and inventory data so that only shelf tags for items that you have in stock are printed, reducing waste.
Signage Examples
In-Store Ticketing with ECS5
The biggest challenge with paper signage and shelf edge labels is ensuring that they are always up to date with the most accurate pricing and promotions. As mentioned above, traditional methods of shelf edge printing and labeling are disconnected which leaves too much room for wasted materials and inaccuracies. With ECS5, you can easily manage the design and printing of shelf edge labels and other point of sale signage to ensure accurate communications.
Within the ECS5 dashboard, you can use the Design Editor to design shelf tags and paper signage and you can return to these saved designs later to make quick updates. You can then manage the printing of your in-store ticketing by designating specific batches to be printed for different departments within your store, and you can set batches to print in multiple store locations. Integrated mobile devices and printers allow store employees to manage the printing and placement of shelf edge labels and paper signage on the shop floor, making the process much more efficient than traditional methods.
The following are the main benefits of in-store ticketing and retail printing with ECS5:
- Easy signage design: The Design Editor allows you to create and save designs for shelf edge labels and paper signage. These designs can be easily amended later to reflect changes in pricing and promotions. Importantly, the same Design Editor is used regardless of output type, including paper signage, digital signage, and multimedia.
- Manage batch printing: You can set and schedule batches of shelf edge labels for specific departments within your store and you can set batches to be printed in multiple store locations. The Analytics Module within ECS5 allows you to trace the progress of batch printing to ensure that important jobs are done on time.
- Integrate mobile devices: The ability to integrate mobile devices and printers allows you to take the retail printing operations from the back office to the shop floor. Employees can access the ECS5 dashboard with integrated handheld devices and manage the ticketing, including ad-hoc batch printing. Mobile printers allow employees to print the tickets on the floor and apply the shelf labels, ensuring accuracy and reducing the time it takes to update the shelf edge labeling and point of sale signage. This is also a quick and easy way to replace missing or damaged tickets when an employee is walking the store and notices these problems.
- Integrate inventory and planogram data: Your planogram data and live inventory can be integrated seamlessly into ECS5, meaning the system will only print shelf edge labels for items that are on your planogram and currently in stock, cutting down on wasted materials. You can even manage batch printing for different planograms in different locations from one place to ensure accurate printing in each location.
- Save time and money: ECS5 streamlines the design and printing process to reduce inaccuracies, wasted materials, and the time spent on these tasks. Your business will save time and money by cutting down on waste and freeing up your employees to spend more time providing customer service which leads to more sales.
Blended Communications Solutions with ECS5
ECS5 is a highly effective solution for ensuring accurate and efficient shelf edge labeling and in-store ticketing. However, shelf edge labeling and signage printing is just one of the capabilities of ECS5. The ECS5 Media Suite is a blended communications solution that allows retails stores to manage all of their communications, including digital media.
With ECS5, you can manage print and digital media simultaneously from one place. You can use the Design Editor to implement digital signage, multimedia displays, and electronic shelf tags. Digital signage can include image files and videos. Changes can be made to your digital signage and electronic shelf tags quickly within Design Editor and be implemented to your TV screens and other digital displays instantaneously. You can also schedule changes in pricing and promotion to be implemented right when they become effective ahead of time.
Like with paper signage and shelf edge labels, you can manage the design, update, and implementation of digital media within your store and across locations from any connected device. ECS5 also harnesses the data from your planogram and inventory to ensure the accuracy of your digital signage across locations.
Improve Operational Efficiency with ECS5
The ability of ECS5 to blend all of your communications into one solution greatly improves the operational efficiency in your stores. The Design Editor eliminates the need to work with third party designers for your paper signage and multimedia displays and allows your store associates to quickly and easily amend and update signage when pricing and promotions change. Associates will also be able to print missing shelf tags and signage as they walk the store and instantly update digital displays and electronic shelf tags for optimized store efficiency. This leaves store associates free to spend more time helping your customers which leads to more sales while saving time and money spent on in-store operations.
Retail Communications Solutions with ECS5
ECS5 integrates all of your customer communication channels, including paper signage, shelf edge labels, and digital media, into one efficient solution. The mobile capabilities and ability to integrate and harness planogram and inventory date allow you to manage all of your customer communications from anywhere and ensure accurate messaging across locations.
Contact ECS Global Inc. to learn more about how ECS5 can help your retail store improve customer communications.
