A fleet of Zebra printers integrated with RICOH ProcessDirector ensures end-of-lane accuracy

Next plc is a multinational retailer offering clothing, footwear, homeware, and accessories. To satisfy rocketing demand for an ever-expanding range of online brands, teams at seven UK distribution centres work round the clock to process and fulfil orders. And with next-day delivery a hallmark of Next’s customer service, forging fast, agile operational workflows forms a key strategic objective.

At each distribution centre, employees rely on label and barcode printers to support pick-and-pack processes, and to prepare each customer shipment for dispatch. Previously, Next sourced these business-critical devices and essential consumables, along with maintenance and repairs, from a range of suppliers. But this approach proved excessively complex, time-consuming, and labour-intensive.

Having conducted a thorough review of Next’s painpoints, the Ricoh team was able to design a comprehensive end-to-end solution in partnership with industrial printer specialist Zebra. The proposal involved integration with in-situ RICOH Process Director platform, which is enabling end of lane accuracy, a fleet of Zebra printers provided on a leasing agreement alongside monitoring and analytics software, managed support services, and online purchasing of consumables.

"Every minute that our warehouses are shut costs the business a lot of money, so we were unbelievably lucky the Ricoh solution was in place. It proved to be a huge asset in helping make warehouses safe and enabled the business to restart online retailing. I’m not sure that we could have moved as fast as we did, had it not been for the Ricoh solution."