Why Reinvent the Wheel? The Cost Benefits of 3rd Party Labeling
The beauty of white labeling, as well as the spirit of white labeling found in using third-party development for your labeling systems, is integrating somebody else’s technology so you can get rolling with a solution that already works.
Nowadays, a wheel seems like a pretty simple solution: it rolls, you go. But once upon a time, even the wheel was just a barebones concept that required endless experiment and failure to successfully work.
Ever try rolling anywhere with triangles, hexagons, squares? You’ll go nuts, and plenty of cavemen did. But now that the wheel’s a wheel, the circle’s complete. We can all move on with our lives.
As a small business entrepreneur with unique labeling needs, you might be tempted to do, and invent, everything you require yourself. But trust us. You’re going to end up sidelined in a ditch. You’ll likely make mistakes somebody already made and resolved with a tried and true solution.
Or, as Forbes’ Drew Gainor puts it: you’ll “reinvent the wheel, making mistakes that others before you have already made and mastered.”
By definition, white labeling is using a fully supported product designed by someone else, slapping your own label on it and selling it yourself. But whether or not you are literally relabeling the technology under your own brand or simply integrating a branded technology like an automatic label applicator from somebody else, you are still embracing the spirit of white labeling.
Here are 3 reasons why sometimes you’re better off utilizing another company’s labeling systems, and 3 ways to tell if that provider is truly up to the job.
1. It keeps the customer satisfied.
Hopefully, the third party’s labeling machines are already tested and dependable. Their labeling system is a solution you can readily provide your customers and keep them happy without the pain and frustrations of trial and error. Your customers are more quickly satisfied and happy with your product as a result of the third party technology.
2. You’ll bleed, sweat and cry less.
Starting a labeling technology or solution from scratch requires an incredible amount of time and R&D investment. There’s plenty that can go wrong and usually does. Budgets burst like frozen pipes; Murphy’s Law gets enforced with a cruel vengeance. And most of what you invest in developing your own labeling system can be better spent on marketing and building up the business you already have. You’re essentially wasting your resources developing a label system a third party already has available at your fingertips.
3. You can instead focus on what you really do best.
Chances are, the solution you are developing isn’t your core competency in the first place. By using a third party labeling machine, you can take advantage of proven expertise, which gives you more time to focus on what you’re truly good at. In the end, a reliable automatic label applicator strengthens the core of your business. You have more time, energy and resources to devote to your core product.
How to Choose the Best Third Party Developer
So now that you understand the advantages of using third-party technology to propel your labeling systems, how do you choose the perfect provider? The right choice can make or break a business, so tread carefully. Here are 3 things you should consider when it comes to integrating third-party solutions to satisfy your labeling needs.
1. What kind of support do they offer?
Stuff happens, and when it does, it usually hits a pretty messy fan. When you or the customer has a labeling problem, what kind of support does the third party provider offer?
Ideally, the company delivering the labeling system should be offering it in-house. Sure, you may be farming out the technology yourself, but you don’t want too many cooks in the kitchen, at least when it comes to dependable design and customer support of the labeling machines. You want sturdiness and reliability in order to get the consistency you need to depend on. And when you have a problem, you need a provider who can readily fix it quickly and efficiently.
2. How “plug & play” is the solution?
How easily will the labeling applicator integrate into your systems, and how much help will the third party provide to implement it? A quality solution will be able to work around what you are already doing with minimal interference.
Sure, there’s some natural adjustment along the way, but the third party should be able to walk you through that transformation with minimal hassle and a fully supportive team. By definition, a solution should solve your labeling problems, not create new ones.
3. How flexible and adaptable is the solution to change?
If there’s one constant you can count on in life as well as in business, it’s that things are bound to change, often radically. Can the labeling solution adjust not only to the changes and demands you foresee coming down the line but the unexpected as well? Can the third party labeling system embrace the unforeseeable, and most importantly, are they willing to work with you to make changes when necessary?
Our Helpful Guide
Want to build the perfect 3rd party labeling system? Wondering how to tell if a labeling provider is up to the job?
Our helpful guide, “The Secret to Planning a Labeling System,” walks you through the process, step by step. Download it today. Find out how to get it right on the very first try.
Have a question about finding a third party solution for your automated printer labeling needs? We’d be happy to chat.
