A High-Tech Roll Product Solution
By Kara S. Carpenter

Roll products aren't considered as glamorous or cutting-edge as digital printing jobs, direct mail projects or security documents, but the market is becoming increasingly competitive as more distributors realize that high-tech roll product solutions are vital for many businesses.

When a software company that serves dry cleaning firms throughout the Southeast wanted to help clients improve efficiency and reduce costs, it turned to John Reich, CFC, an independent owner of distributorship service firm Aptco Inc., Mebane, N.C.

Reich previously had supplied the software company with approximately 3 million continuous forms annually. Dry cleaning firms used the forms, which included preprinted bar codes, to track clothing through the cleaning process. After using dot matrix printers to print customer information on the forms, they attached them to garments that needed to be cleaned.

Some dry cleaning firms, however, had problems with the forms. The firms used a variety of bar code scanning devices, including wand and slot readers, that weren't always able to scan the bar codes properly. "Even though the bar code read OK at the factory, we couldn't always guarantee that it would work on all of the scanners," says Reich, explaining that the bar codes were printed with dot matrix printers. "If the bar code wasn't dark enough or wasn't well-defined, dry cleaners would end up having misreads or no reads at all."

After searching for a solution, Reich and the software company determined in-house direct thermal printers would better serve the dry cleaning firms' needs. For the past year, the software company has been upgrading each of its clients to direct thermal printers. These printers enable the firms to customize forms on demand with client information and high-resolution, readable bar codes.

Reich now provides the software company with up to 400 3 1/8-inch-wide paper rolls monthly. The rolls, which he provides in white, blue, green, pink, yellow, lavender and orange for use on different days of the week, include backs preprinted with dry cleaning information.

The new method saves the dry cleaning firms money. Additionally, the software company no longer worries about losing clients to competitors. "Now, he doesn't sell and get paid for forms--he sells and gets paid for transactions," Reich says.