Overview
The Inventory Label Export feature provides a centralized way to select inventory items, build a queue of labels, and generate labels for printing or export. You can add individual items or groups of items to the queue, select which queued items you want to include, determine how many labels should be generated, and select the appropriate label format.
The feature also provides PDF, CSV, and Excel output options, allowing you to generate printable inventory labels or export the selected inventory label information.
Adding Inventory Items to the Queue
Use the Add to Queue section to locate the inventory items for which you want to generate labels.
You can narrow the items added to the queue using the following fields:
- Item Number – Select a specific inventory item.
- From Part – Select the beginning part number when adding a range of parts.
- Through Part – Select the ending part number when adding a range of parts.
- Warehouse – Limit the items to a specific warehouse.
- Bins – Limit the items to a specific bin location.
You can use these options individually or in combination depending on the labels you need. For example, you can add a single inventory item, a range of parts, or items associated with a particular warehouse and bin. The feature was specifically designed to support multiple ways of building the label queue rather than requiring users to add every part individually.
Multiple item numbers
Multiple bins
After entering the appropriate criteria, select + Add to Queue. The matching inventory items are added to the queue below.
Select Reset to clear the criteria entered in the Add to Queue section.
Managing the Label Queue
The queue displays the inventory items that have been added for label generation. The grid includes information such as Part Number, Description, Quantity, Warehouse, and Bin.
Use the checkboxes in the Print column to determine which items are currently selected for label generation. This allows you to add a larger group of inventory items to the queue and then select only the labels you currently need.
The summary panel on the right displays:
- Selected Items – The number of inventory items currently selected.
- Total Labels – The number of labels that will be generated based on the selected items and Label Quantity option.
- In Queue – The total number of inventory items currently in the queue.
You can also use Remove Selected to remove the selected items from the queue or Clear Queue to remove all items. Individual items can also be edited or removed using the available options within the grid.
Searching the Queue
Use Search Queue to locate a specific item after inventory records have been added to the queue. This is particularly useful when the queue contains a large number of inventory items.
For example, you can add an entire warehouse or bin to the queue and then search for a particular item instead of adding each required item individually. This helps to work with a large queue that could potentially contain hundreds or thousands of labels.
Items in the queue can also be sorted in each column to help locate and organize the inventory records.
Selecting the Label Quantity
Use the Label Quantity section to determine how the system calculates the number of labels generated for the selected inventory items.
Use Quantity On Hand
Select Use Quantity On Hand to generate labels based on the Quantity on Hand for each selected inventory item.
For example, if an item has a Quantity on Hand of 8, the system generates eight labels for that item. This option can be useful when labels need to be applied to individual inventory units.
One Label Per Item
Select One Label Per Item to generate one label for each selected inventory item, regardless of its Quantity on Hand.
This option can be useful when labeling warehouse locations or when only one label is required for each part.
The Total Labels value automatically updates based on the selected Label Quantity option. The demo, for example, shows that selecting 15 inventory items results in 15 labels with One Label Per Item, while Use Quantity On Hand calculates the total from the quantities of those selected items.
Selecting a Label Format
In the Export or Print section, select the appropriate label format from the drop-down list.
Inventory Label Export supports both sheet and roll label formats. The initial label formats include:
- Avery 8160/5160
- Avery T00-A5Y
- Dymo 550 Turbo – 1" x 2.125"
- Dymo 1.125" x 3.5"
The selected format determines the layout of the generated labels. The initial implementation includes two sheet-label formats and two roll-label formats.
Label Format and Printer Considerations
The selected label format should correspond to the physical label stock and printer being used. Because label dimensions, spacing, margins, and printer settings can vary between manufacturers and label products, the appropriate label format may depend on the specific labels purchased by your organization.
For roll or continuous-label printers, such as Dymo printers, the label template is configured to account for the size of each label as well as the spacing between labels. This helps ensure that each label is positioned correctly as the roll advances during printing.
When using a new printer or label product, confirm the manufacturer's label specifications and select the corresponding format from the Export or Print drop-down list. If the required label format is not available, an additional label template may need to be configured.
For best results, test a small number of labels when using a new printer or label format before generating a large print job.
Generating Labels as a PDF
After adding the appropriate inventory items to the queue and selecting the items you want to include:
- Select either Use Quantity On Hand or One Label Per Item.
- Select the appropriate label format from the Export or Print drop-down list.
- Select PDF.
The system generates a PDF containing the selected inventory labels using the selected label template. The PDF can then be opened and printed using the appropriate printer and label stock.
The PDF layout reflects the selected label format, including the appropriate sheet or roll-label configuration.
Exporting Label Information
In addition to generating a PDF, Inventory Label Export provides the following export options:
- CSV – Exports the selected inventory label information in CSV format.
- Excel – Exports the selected inventory label information to an Excel spreadsheet.
These options provide the selected inventory label information in a data-based format rather than as formatted printable labels. The transcript confirms that CSV produces text-based output while Excel produces spreadsheet output.
Managing Available Label Templates
Select the Settings gear on the Inventory Label Export page to manage the label formats/templates available for selection.
Label templates can be marked Active or Inactive by selecting the Pencil icon and checking/unchecking the checkbox. Marking a label template as inactive removes it from the label-format drop-down list, helping reduce the number of formats displayed when certain formats are not used by your organization.
A label template can also be designated as the Default format. Only one label format can be designated as the default, and the default label format must remain active.
Permissions
The Permission that governs this feature can be added in HR > Positions > Edit Position section and is located under the same ETMS hierarchy: Transit Assets > Parts Management > Inventory Management and is called Inventory Label Export.
If the permission is checked, the user has full access to this feature. If the permission is not checked, the user has no access to this feature.