2019 was another record year at Freshwater Digital for both continued business growth and new industry opportunities, including digital tags successes. Throughout the year our team had the chance to explore new and innovative ways for implementing the e-ink digital tag technology and our solutions into industries outside of the prominent grocery retail environment.
With the e-ink digital tag/ESL technology still being so new to many in the US, it’s been an extremely valuable learning curve as we’ve integrated digital tags into such underutilized processes and use cases. More importantly, it’s given us a chance to cultivate our knowledge and abilities with the technology as we continue to help our clients solve their problems. Some of our success stories from digital tags in 2019 and 2018 include:
AMWAY ABO STORE – COSMETIC RETAIL
OVERVIEW
Amway sells health, beauty, and home care products, and is a world-renowned brand name. This project was specifically focused on one of their ABO retail stores located in California.
PROBLEM
The Amway team was looking for a new and innovative way to manage inventory and pricing within their retail store. With their current process, a lot of time and labor costs were associated with placing new print labels. It was difficult to keep track of products, inventory, promotions, sale items, etc., as things constantly changed which is typical in retail.
SOLUTION
Being that the digital tag technology was originally developed specifically for the retail space, our team was able to bring them a surefire solution to help improve their inventory and pricing processes. Amway had a realization that making their retail stores into digital assets would be the best practice moving forward.
Freshwater provided a retail test solution that integrated the digital tags with their existing POS system. All of the paper labels and signage on the shelves within the store were replaced by the digital tags, giving their team the ability to automate their pricing and inventory management. The POS system can now automatically push any updates and info to the tags that are needed, providing pricing, special offers, promotions, and more. This solution replaced an outdated system and process of utilizing paper signage and labels, which saved both time and money for the Amway store employees.
EXPERIENCE AUTO GROUP FERARRI – AUTOMOTIVE
OVERVIEW
The Experience Auto Group owns a unique inventory of automobiles between various Ferrari and Maserati dealerships along the East Coast. As a world-renowned brand name, they offer luxury, style, and first-class service to their customers.
PROBLEM
With a high-end inventory that requires constant supervision and accountability, the Experience Auto Group was always looking for new ways to improve their pricing and inventory management. The sales team needed a solution to replace the traditional car stickers to a more automated and streamlined way of presenting essential details. Additionally, the team had its sights set on creating a cool and innovative ambiance for their stores to go hand in hand with their luxury products and services.
SOLUTION
The Experience Auto Group chose to integrate with their existing database to manage all pricing and inventory on the digital tags which replaced the former window stickers. The team now has the ability to display the same information that was normally on a window sticker, while also being able to push any necessary updates to the tags on the fly. This automated system provides the option to customize any tag at any time, with sales, promotions, and so much more from a website integration.
KKIND – CANNABIS/MEDICAL DISPENSARY
OVERVIEW
Kkind is a brand-new, state of the art medical marijuana dispensary that opened its doors in Kalamazoo, MI in late 2019. The Kkind team prides itself on its ability to offer the best customer service to help their patients to find the right products for their needs.
PROBLEM
Being a medical dispensary and provisioning center, the Kkind team was proactive in seeking out an impactful solution before even opening their facility. With the constant need to change pricing, product information, strains, cannabinoids, and more, the team realized that if they wanted to keep their inventory organized and their patients correctly informed, they better find a solution that will allow them to do so seamlessly.
SOLUTION
Kkind chose to utilize the digital tag technology by integrating with their price managing system to create an automated process that seamlessly changes all product and pricing information between their system and the tags. They also have the ability to manually push updates to the tags through the web-based software from any phone, tablet, or computer; without the need to replace or switch out any of the tags that are placed on the shelves. The team was happy to find a solution that would work best for their new and untested process.
WATERCOLORS AQUARIUM – RETAIL
OVERVIEWWatercolors Aquarium is a tropical fish store and aquarium gallery located in Grand Rapids, MI. They are well-known for having unique stock of both freshwater and saltwater fish, while also carrying all the products necessary to help you with your aquarium needs.
PROBLEM
With a constant need to change their previous paper labels due to stock changes, price changes, and imports, the Watercolors team realized that their current process with paper labels was becoming challenging. Between the time and money spent on replacing and updating labels, it was time to look into an alternative option.
SOLUTION
Watercolors decided to replace the paper labels completely and integrate the digital tag technology into their daily routine. This solution has allowed for a more streamlined process and an increase in efficiency overall. Whenever a new product or price needs to be changed, the team can manually push any updates to the tags through the web-based software from any phone, tablet, or computer; without the need to replace or switch out any of the tags that are placed on the shelves and tanks.
MY PATRIOT SUPPLY – WAREHOUSING
OVERVIEW
My Patriot Supply is a manufacturer and provider of products and kits for those who have adopted and are looking to adopt the preparedness lifestyle in the US. Their passion stems from helping Americans to become true patriots by preparing them for natural disasters and other situations with the necessary survival products.
PROBLEM
Building survival kits takes a team effort and a lot of hard work goes into making sure that every single product is represented. My Patriot Supply has specific processes in place with assembly lines for creating each type of kit between the various amounts that are available. With so much to focus on already, the team realized that they were spending a lot of time and money on replacing their labels as their kits and processes changed. On top of that, they needed to find a way to eliminate any potential human error with missed products or incorrect placement of products in specific kits.
SOLUTION
My Patriot Supply implemented this digital tag solution by replacing all of their paper labels throughout the assembly lines and integrating with an existing product database. This solution has allowed for a more streamlined process, giving their team the ability to switch information on the tags based on what kit or kits need to be built. The tags tell the team members what specific kit needs to be built for their dedicated line, along with the exact products that need to be included for that kit. Now the team can build out kits at a faster pace with confidence that all products are where they need to be.
OVERVIEW
Digital tag successes in 2019 were a crucial step towards proving the technology and starting the conversation in nearly endless verticals. Digital tag solutions are vast and we’re excited to share with you our progress as we continue to gain traction in the United States.