What You Need to Know Before Buying ID Labels

From hospitals to engineering firms to schools, the use of ID labels is on the rise. In an economy where every cent matters, ID labels help organizations flag their critical assets to save time and money. If you need an easy way to differentiate the assets or equipment in your business, durable ID labels can make your business more efficient.

Learn how ID labels work, as well as the three things you need to know before you order them.

What is an ID Label?

To use ID labels, your business generates a unique code in your asset management system. From there, you can print the unique ID on a label to tag the item.

In practice, ID labels help organizations:

• Differentiate assets
• Ensure your team performs the right maintenance schedule
• Stay compliant in the event of an audit

If you use or produce durable goods in your business, chances are you can use ID labels to streamline your operations. ID labels are commonly used for:

• IT hardware
• Vehicles
• Machinery or parts
• Utility infrastructure
• Medical devices

ID Label Benefits

Although it might seem like an extra step, ID labels are extremely beneficial, especially for growing businesses and enterprises. ID labels can help your organization:

• Save time: Whether it’s through barcodes or RFID, ID labels give you an immense amount of data in one scan. Instead of logging numbers manually, you can get more value out of your ID labels in seconds.
• Track assets: ID labels allow you to track a single asset throughout your company over time, logging its total cost of ownership, usage data, maintenance logs, and much more. With ID labels, you can track exactly what you have. This is critical if your organization has multiple locations or mobile employees in the field.
• Embrace digitization: ID labels are part of the grander scheme of digitizing an organization — and all the efficiencies that come with it. ID labels allow your team to automate the asset management process with scannable barcodes. If you want to remove human error and process data in mere seconds, ID labels are the way to go.
• Prevent loss: People are much less likely to steal assets if an item is tied back to someone’s name in your asset management system. If you struggle with internal theft, tamper-resistant ID labels can deter would-be thieves.

ID Labels: What You Need to Know Before Ordering

ID labels are a boon to any organization, but there are several things you need to consider before you place your order. Assess these three factors to get the most mileage out of your ID labels.

Determine How the Labels Will Be Used

Have a strategy in place first so you order the right label for the job. What job does your label need to perform? Look at your environment to see which assets need labels, as well as the types of labels you’ll need to withstand environmental conditions. It’s okay to balance costs and go with plastic options for some assets and metal labels for others — customize to the situation so you get the right label every time.

Know Your Materials

Choose labels that will accommodate your environment. ID labels can come in all types of materials, including metal or plastic. In fact, some labels even come in brass, which is both a decorative and corrosion-resistant option. For the harshest environments, Metalphoto® anodized aluminum ID labels offer excellent resistance to heat, humidity, outdoor weather conditions, abrasion and chemical exposure, and sunlight degradation, providing an expected exterior lifespan of 20 or more years.

You might also need to look into the types of adhesives you’ll need. Quality label makers will provide special adhesives that are designed to adhere to equipment for the lifetime of the asset, regardless of its working conditions. MPC’s ID labels are available with a permanent, high-performance pressure-sensitive adhesive or holes for mechanical attachment, so companies can choose an attachment option that’s best-suited for their applications.

Check for Durability

You want ID labels that will last the lifetime of your assets, as the last thing you want is an unscannable asset or an asset that needs re-labeling down the line. Ask your ID label provider for industrial-strength options that can withstand the following extremes:

• Cold
• Heat
• Chemicals
• UV

Metalphoto is recognized as the most durable printed aluminum substrate available in the National Association of Graphic and Product Identification Manufacturers (GPI) Industry Standards and Practices Manual, and it has been the material of choice for industry, government, and military organizations for more than five decades. It offers resistance to extreme temperatures, UV, abrasion, chemicals, and solvents.

It’s also important to consider tamper-proofing. If someone removes your ID labels, it can cause serious damage to your reputation. Opt for durable labels that deter theft and counterfeiting. Better yet, some labels are designed to crumble if they’re ever removed, making it impossible for them to be reused elsewhere.

Choose ID Labels That Will Go the Distance

ID labels help organizations streamline manual processes, reduce losses, and track asset value over time. However, it’s important to determine how you’ll use the ID labels so you pick the best option for the job. After all, if your labels fall off or become illegible, you’re at a greater risk of theft and compliance headaches.

When you need tough labels that do the job right from the start, go with MPC. Our ID labels are durable enough to meet the specifications of the Department of Defense. Request a free sample today to see our ID labels at work in your operating environment.