Alasen Rakennus | Success Stories

The challenge

The customer was looking for an efficient and cost-effective print solution to work alongside a cloud-based platform that would simplify on-site document management and reduce paper waste.

The solution

A compact A3 inkjet multifunction printer with cloud connectivity, supported by a Brother Managed Print Service. The robust device allows users to browse and print documents from the cloud while Brother takes care of supplies ordering and customer support.

The results

Significantly reduced need for physical documents to be stored on site, resulting in more efficient management of blueprints and reduced paper waste. Simple and reliable document retrieval and printing, as well as automated management of supplies and maintenance, has streamlined the document management process and freed up employee time.

An Alasen Rakennus employee wearing a high visibility vest while sat in an office with a compact Brother A3 inkjet printer with cloud connectivity on a desk in the foreground

A managed print service (MPS) and cloud-connected printer allow a Finnish contractor to achieve smarter, more sustainable document management, even in rugged working environments

Marden Edwards is a world-leading specialist in building packaging machines that allow its customers to do just this, designing bespoke, automated lines with traceability solutions built in.

The company was asked by a customer to build a new packaging system that would allow it to comply with a new set of traceability regulations in its sector. The system needed to apply a unique code to each individual pack so that their origins could be accurately tracked across the supply chain.

This meant integrating label printers which would be able to operate automatically and with minimum intervention once the packaging line was up and running, so the reliability of the unit needed to be absolute.

After comparing a range of options, the company selected Brother TJ-4121TN industrial label printers for the build, purchasing four of the units for the testing and development process.

A dependable component

Jerry Marden, managing director at Marden Edwards, led the team that developed the bespoke solution.

He said:

“The critical requirement for this project was that the printers would continue to operate with complete reliability long after we had built the system and delivered it to the customer – so we were looking for a product with the highest possible build quality.

In terms of integrating the printers into the wider packaging setup, it was important that it always behaved exactly as expected, as even a very low rate of malfunctioning could significantly compromise the effectiveness of the traceability system.

We found that the Brother printers performed extremely well in both of these areas, and that was a great help in terms of allowing us to build and supply a system that we’re confident will be fit for purpose for many years to come.”

Brilliant simplicity

The traceability requirements of the automated packaging system were relatively sophisticated, with unique labels needing to be applied at three different levels – the individual packs, boxes containing multiple packs and larger cases containing multiple boxes.

Each label also needed to include a mixture of unique human and machine-readable information.

The system performed excellently in testing and is now installed at the customer’s site.

Find out more about Brother's labelling solutions.

Download your copy of the Marden Edwards case study

“While the operation of the printers is relatively simple, it is part of a fairly complex traceability system which required us to build a custom application setup. This runs off a series of labels before applying them to the packs as a separate action.

We found the Brother printers easy to work with when developing and testing this system thanks to its simple,
high-quality design.

The fact that it operates quite quickly was also a significant benefit, as it means the system is able to create six labels per second, helping to ensure high levels of productivity are maintained.”

Jerry Marden, Managing director, Marden Edwards

Simplifying document management at a building site, with cloud print and MPS

The challenge

The solution

The results

A managed print service (MPS) and cloud-connected printer allow a Finnish contractor to achieve smarter, more sustainable document management, even in rugged working environments

A dependable component

Brilliant simplicity

“While the operation of the printers is relatively simple, it is part of a fairly complex traceability system which required us to build a custom application setup. This runs off a series of labels before applying them to the packs as a separate action.

What was achieved?

Simplified document management

Greater cost efficiency

Reduced paper waste

Find out more about how Brother can benefit your business