Markem-Imaje releases Version 6.0 of its CoLOS® information management system which provides manufacturers with even higher uptime, throughput and compliance in their product coding and packaging activities.

In an era where margins are tight and traceability is becoming ever more important as recall scandals can quickly go global now, more than ever, manufacturers need accuracy and efficiency in their printing and coding operations. The CoLOS information management system minimizes risk of coding errors, ensures 100% compliance with regulations and can help reduce overall packaging running costs by up to 15 percent.

The automation it provides cuts manual data entry and message data maintenance by 90 percent, while halving changeover time between product runs, saving hundreds of hours of downtime per year. Recalls are also easier to execute.

CoLOS uses structured message design and integrates seamlessly with information and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. This helps it streamline message creation and printer setup during production while providing security and traceability of printed information. It can be operated from the office, shop floor or server room across a range of devices and comes with state-of-the-art user interfaces which enhance the overall experience. The version released today provides greater insights into printer performance and improves data exchange with other information and production systems. It is also quicker and simpler for manufacturers to customize the package to their requirements.

Extra decision management functionality
The new printer performance module helps improve uptime by giving production teams easy access to real-time printer performance indicators and dashboards. Immediate alerts of any printer problems can now be sent to mobile, tablet and desktop devices to ensure issues are fixed swiftly or potentially prevented before they occur. Historical reports are also available. The improvements give manufacturers enhanced visibility into their coding and printing performance, quality and compliance, providing them the insights they need to develop continuous improvement plans where required.

Faster data exchange with manufacturers’ information and production systems
Using the native language of ERP systems, information sharing between CoLOS and other systems is now in real-time, meaning production activities – such as releasing pallets into stock – can be completed more rapidly than before. This increases throughput.

Improved access and modularity
The latest release allows new and existing users to download the software via the Internet instead of CDs. Similarly, any future upgrades will also be accessible online.

Additionally, CoLOS has now been made more modular than before and its scalability has been enhanced. Companies can tailor CoLOS according to the specific business challenge they are trying to solve, the size of their operation and whether they need any functionality beyond the software’s extensive off-the-shelf capabilities.

CoLOS users also benefit from the fact that, unlike other suppliers, Markem-Imaje is not reliant on third-party vendors. As the company makes both the software and the printers, single-source accountability ensures manufacturers face fewer integration and operational issues than when using a patchwork of products and systems.

“With over 17,000 installations worldwide, CoLOS is the market’s leading information management system in its segment. This is thanks to our ongoing commitment to innovation which ensures it remains perfectly matched to our customers’ evolving coding and data management requirements,” says Mark Hathaway, Software Product Manager, Markem-Imaje. “The software has been continuously improved and expanded over 25 years. Today’s launch of CoLOS 6.0 represents the latest phase of its ongoing journey.”
Version 6.0 will initially be available in France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland and UK. It will launch in the US and Canada on June 15th. Other countries will follow in due course.

More information, including an animation illustrating its benefits, can be found here: http://www.markem-imaje.com/colos. 

CoLOS 6.0 provides real-time printer performance dashboards and historical reporting via smartphone, tablet and desktop devices, helping to maximize uptime by improving decision-making.