Manufacturing environments often require robust and efficient label printing solutions directly integrated with their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. This article explores a successful case study leveraging Epicor, Bartender, and Autoprint to streamline Printing Labels directly from the Manufacturing Execution System (MES).
Overcoming Epicor MES Label Printing Challenges
One customer using Epicor version 8.03.400 faced challenges in printing labels directly from MES. They needed to print Bartender labels on 4 Zebra printers, utilizing both 1×4 and 4×6 label sizes. The existing Epicor system presented several hurdles:
- MES and Job Header Updates: Epicor doesn’t natively allow updating Job Header fields directly from MES. This limitation was critical as they needed to control label printing parameters based on job-specific data.
- Generic Job Report Data Definition (RDD) Limitations: The Generic Job RDD, while useful, automatically generates records for each operation, which was not ideal for their requirement to print labels specific to the job the user was actively working on.
- Previous Attempts with Crystal Reports: Initial attempts to use Crystal Reports for label printing encountered complications with printing multiple labels and label orientation issues.
Implementing a Bartender and Autoprint Solution
To overcome these challenges and establish an efficient printing labels process, a solution was implemented using Bartender in conjunction with Epicor’s Autoprint functionality. This involved several key steps:
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BPM for Job Header Updates: To enable MES to influence label printing, a Business Process Management (BPM) was created. This BPM updated a User Defined (UD) field on the JobHeader table, effectively circumventing Epicor’s restriction on direct Job Header updates from MES.
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Custom Screen and User Flags: A custom screen was developed within MES. This screen pre-populated certain information and allowed users to set flags for label size (4×6 or 1×4) and specify the number of printing labels required. These flags updated the JobHeader UD field via the BPM created in the previous step.
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RDD Criteria and UD Table Joins: To address the GenericJob RDD limitations, several criteria items were implemented within the RDD. These criteria joined the RDD to a UD table, which housed most of the necessary data fields for printing labels. This ensured that only relevant job data was processed for label printing.
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Autoprint Rules and Conditions: Autoprint rules and conditions were configured to route print jobs to the appropriate Zebra printers and select the correct label styles. This routing was dynamically determined based on the information stored in the UD table, which was populated via the custom MES screen and BPM logic.
Successful and Efficient Label Printing Implementation
This integrated solution has been successfully operational for nearly a year, processing hundreds of printing labels daily. It effectively brought a previously external label printing process directly into Epicor, significantly improving workflow and data integration.
The use of Bartender proved to be a robust solution, overcoming the limitations encountered with Crystal Reports. The flexibility of BPMs and UD tables within Epicor, combined with Autoprint’s capabilities, enabled the creation of a highly adaptable and efficient printing labels process. This case study highlights the potential of leveraging these tools for creating almost ad-hoc label printing solutions tailored to specific manufacturing needs within Epicor environments.
