How W.L. Gore achieved 100% label accuracy with Loftware

W.L. Gore, a global materials and biomaterials science company, has made its name by creating innovative and technology-driven solutions, from medical devices that treat aneurysms to high-performance GORE-TEX® fabric. Its medical device manufacturing division has more than 40 million devices implanted worldwide.  

W.L. Gore decided to migrate from Loftware Print Server (LPS) to our cloud-based labeling solution to improve speed-to-market, simplify the auditing process to maintain compliance, improve processing time, and reduce label creation time, as well as other business benefits. 

Read on to discover how Loftware helped W.L. Gore achieve their goals. 

#1 Maintaining compliance by reducing audit response time.  W.L. Gore streamlined compliance by cutting audit response times. Before, fulfilling label reproduction requests during audits was time-consuming as there was no system for reprinting labels. By migrating to our cloud-based labeling solution, W.L. Gore eliminated the need for separate label management, simplifying archival and retrieval processes for printed labels.   

#2 Improving speed-to-market.  W.L. Gore significantly reduced time-to-market delays. Previously, it took four to six months to design and approve labels, with half of that dedicated to regulatory reviews, hampering product launches. With Loftware, the company improved integration among labeling, PLM, and ERP systems, thereby expediting processes. 

#3 Using automation to eliminate errors. Integrating with PLM and ERP systems enabled W.L. Gore to automate its change management process. With PLM integration, label updates now adhere to quality management systems, ensuring all files are reviewed and approved beforehand.  

#4 Increasing customer responsiveness. To boost adaptability and responsiveness to customer needs, W.L. Gore adopted a modular label creation approach, departing from one-off solutions. Now, the Product Labeling team utilizes a single format with 500+ images, accommodating over 3,800 SKUs with just 75 label designs and 7,000 image files. This facilitates swift adjustments of label elements such as languages, brand names, and regulatory details to meet diverse customer demands efficiently. 

#5 Expand label printing across the globe. W.L. Gore’s final objective with the migration was to equip its regional teams, partners, and third-party logistics to easily handle labeling operations. This would enable them to process returns more quickly, eliminating inefficiencies in their processes, and reducing processing costs. Loftware’s software removes the need for storing label format and image files on premise. Now, all users can use the same files without needing to replicate data or create local file versions.