CognitiveTPG Printer & Labels Help Skiers Race Through the Rental Process at Copper Mountain

Challenge

Copper Mountain Resort needed a system to effectively manage its rental equipment inventory between five store locations and to expedite the rental process for its skiers and boarders.

Scenario

Copper Mountain Resort was using an inefficient system to track and manage its inventory of ski rental equipment between each of the five different rental locations. According to Gary Deetz, Warehouse Supervisor, the self made system was faulty and labor intensive. Basically they combined 3 pieces of construction paper to determine store location, shelf location, and product information – the color paper represented the store location.

They needed a system to effectively manage its rental equipment inventory between five stores and to expedite the rental process for its customers. The system had to operate as a stand alone because of limited workspace to include a computer. They also needed to print serialized labels and be able to easily enter the variable information on the spot for the replacement labels. Finally they needed a label that would adhere to the ski, pole, boot, or snowboard without falling off due to the wide array of environments from freezing cold to 70 degrees and very wet conditions.

Solution

CognitiveTPG worked directly with Gary Deetz and his team to find a customized labeling solution to meet the ski resort rental facilities’ requirements. The C Series printer (4” Cxi) was the printer of choice because of its durable construction, LCD user interface menu, and its ability to attach a keyboard/scanner peripheral for a stand alone solution.

Finding a label that would withstand the harsh, drastic environments and constant abuse proved to be the biggest hurdle. Deetz worked with CognitiveTPG’s Media Development Manager, Jay Beresford, to test a variety of adhesives. After a week of testing they found the right solution. In November of 2009 they began tagging all the new and old equipment throughout all five locations, representing roughly 7000 labels.

Today, Cooper Mountain’s customers experience a quick and effective rental process, starting with a self service kiosk to input their customer information. The print out is given to the attendant who selects the proper product, scans the barcode, and the skier is ready to go.

Each label has readable contact information in case of loss or equipment failures. As an added convenience the labels are color coded so a customer can return the equipment to any of the five locations that is most convenient. The color code helps the resort manage the inventory between stores.

Copper Mountain Resort selected the CognitiveTPG C Series printer solution because it offered a:

• Stand alone printer with attached keyboard to input the variable data such as product information and shelf location
• Reliable and durable printer
• Serialized labels with customized logo and strong adhesive
• LCD Menu screen
• Customized rental software package

CognitiveTPG’s printers are compact, easy to maintain, and versatile to withstand the extreme weather conditions at a ski resort.

Testimonials

“It was a pleasure working with CognitiveTPG on this project. Not only did they deliver a solution that met all of our requirements but they also offered suggestions for alternate uses for the printer. The new solution has vastly improved the skier experience, our inventory management and the overall productivity of our sales associates,” said Gary Deetz, Warehouse Supervisor for Copper Mountain Resort.