Is Encompass® LabelSmart Right For Your Business?
Thermal label printing keeps many businesses moving. Shipping labels, inventory tags, compliance labels and healthcare wristbands are just a few examples.
But managing the printers that produce those labels can be a different story.
Businesses have to keep track of supplies, service, maintenance and unexpected costs. When printers are spread across multiple departments or locations, that job can become even more difficult.
Toshiba Encompass® LabelSmart offers a simpler approach. It brings hardware, consumables, service and support together in one managed program with a predictable cost per label.
Instead of managing all the details yourself, your team can spend more time focused on the business.
Why thermal label printing can be challenging
Buying a thermal label printer is only the beginning. The ongoing costs can quickly add up.
Businesses may need to manage labels, ribbons, printheads, maintenance and service. Each expense can also be handled separately, making it harder to predict the true cost of printing.
There is another concern: running out of supplies or dealing with a printer problem can interrupt an important workflow.
For IT and operations teams, managing several printers across different locations adds another layer of work.
A managed approach to thermal label printing can help take some of that work off their plate.
What is Encompass® LabelSmart?
Encompass® LabelSmart is Toshiba’s managed thermal printing program. It is designed to make label printer management easier and more predictable.
The program combines hardware, consumables, service and support into a cost-per-label model. This gives businesses a simpler way to manage their thermal printing expenses.
It also helps reduce the time spent ordering supplies, managing service and dealing with unexpected printing costs.
Encompass® LabelSmart is part of Toshiba’s broader Encompass® Managed Print as a Service (MPaaS) offering. It extends managed print beyond traditional office printers to include thermal label printing.
5 ways Encompass® LabelSmart simplifies thermal label printing
1. Make costs more predictable
One of the biggest challenges with thermal label printing is knowing what it will cost over time.
With Encompass® LabelSmart, the all-inclusive rate covers labels, ribbons, printheads and service. That means fewer unexpected expenses to manage.
A predictable cost per label can also make it easier to plan your printing budget.
2. Keep supplies on hand
Running out of labels or other supplies can bring a workflow to a halt.
Encompass® LabelSmart helps simplify supply management by tracking usage and handling replenishment. Your team spends less time monitoring inventory and ordering supplies.
Automated replenishment can also help reduce the need to keep more inventory than you need.
The result is a more convenient way to keep your thermal printers supplied and ready to use.
3. Take the surprise out of printhead replacement
Printheads are a critical part of thermal label printers. They can also become an unexpected maintenance expense.
With Encompass® LabelSmart, printhead replacements are included in the program. This helps eliminate a cost that might otherwise catch your team by surprise.
Including printhead replacement as part of the program also helps keep your printers running with less disruption.
4. Give IT and operations less to manage
Printer management takes time. That is especially true when thermal printers are located across warehouses, offices, shipping departments, healthcare facilities or other business locations.
Someone has to monitor devices, order supplies and coordinate service.
Encompass® LabelSmart brings those responsibilities together through one managed program. This can help reduce the day-to-day workload for IT and operations teams.
It also gives businesses a more consistent way to manage thermal label printing across locations.
5. Make billing and reporting easier
Managing several printers can make it difficult to see the full cost of thermal label printing.
Separate invoices, supply orders and service expenses can make costs harder to track.
Encompass® LabelSmart provides consolidated invoicing and reporting. This gives businesses greater visibility into their thermal printing environment.
With more information in one place, teams can spend less time managing paperwork and more time managing operations.
Where can managed thermal printing make a difference?
Thermal label printing supports many everyday business processes. Depending on the industry, businesses may use thermal printers for:
- Shipping and logistics labels
- Inventory and asset identification
- Compliance tags
- Healthcare wristbands
- Product and packaging labels
- Warehouse operations
- Distribution workflows
- Retail and point-of-sale applications
When labels are part of a critical workflow, keeping printers running becomes essential.
A managed thermal printing program can help businesses take a more proactive approach to their printing environment.
A smarter approach to your print strategy
Many businesses already use managed print services for office printers and multifunction devices. Thermal label printers can be another important part of that strategy.
Encompass® gives organizations a way to take a broader view of their print environment. Instead of managing office printers, thermal printers, supplies and service separately, businesses can bring more of those responsibilities together.
This approach can help simplify print management while giving IT and operations teams greater visibility into their environment.
Is Encompass® LabelSmart right for your business?
Encompass® LabelSmart may be a good fit for businesses that rely on thermal label printing and want to:
- Make printing costs more predictable
- Reduce the workload on IT and operations
- Simplify supply management
- Reduce unexpected maintenance costs
- Improve printer uptime
- Reduce excess inventory
- Consolidate billing and reporting
- Manage thermal printers across multiple locations
Every business has different printing needs. The right approach depends on your equipment, printing volume and workflows.
A print assessment can help identify opportunities to simplify your environment and better manage costs.
Take a simpler approach to thermal label printing
Thermal label printing is an important part of many business operations. Managing the printers, supplies and service behind it shouldn’t have to be complicated.
Toshiba Encompass® LabelSmart brings hardware, supplies, printhead replacements, service and support together in one managed program.
With predictable cost-per-label pricing and less day-to-day management, businesses can spend less time worrying about their thermal printers and more time focusing on what matters.
Talk to your Toshiba representative to see how Encompass® LabelSmart can simplify your thermal label printing.
