Modernizing mission-critical labeling workflows across production, warehousing, and fulfillment operations.

Since 1936, Cla-Val has been a pioneer and leading manufacturer of automatic control valves providing critical components for waterworks, fire protection, fueling, and marine systems across the world. Cla-Val is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California and is the only valve manufacturer with two in-house foundries allowing them to provide a broad range of valve patterns, sizes, and materials of all grades.

Challenge:

A handwritten labeling system in a mission-critical environment

Cla-Val began using barcodes in 2012 with just a few printers handling simple inventory transactions and job picks. As the system grew, it evolved from printing labels through Infor’s Warehouse Mobility to Viewpoint ERP allowing for expanded labeling capabilities. The handwritten labels and manual processes led to labeling errors and elevated inventory management costs. Handwritten labels led to shipping errors and delays which caused tens of thousands of dollars and without an organized method to track inventory, annual inventory audits were required which often cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per audit.

Label data was fragmented between locations and systems and when a printer failed, production stopped. “It was just as critical as having a machine go down on the shop floor,” says CFO Dave Koeblitz. The labeling operation was just as mission critical as the manufacturing equipment.

“Labeling isn’t just important here—it’s essential. When printing stops, our whole operation stops.”

— Leslie Lushbaugh, Project Manager ERP, Cla-Val

Solution:

A future-proof labeling transformation

Cla-Val partnered with Integrated Productivity Systems (IPSi) to overhaul their labeling operation and create some API integrations to automate label printing directly from the ERP. Ian Faust from the IPSi team worked alongside Cla-Val to help replace file drops with a secure HTTPS printing infrastructure, upgrade all label templates, implement the REST API integration to push dynamic data, and standardize and reconfigure over 50 printers across the facility streamlining the entire labeling operation.

Labels are now printed directly from the ERP instead of the WMS, reducing manual work and saving an average of 20 seconds per label across their 200,000 total SKUs. The team also transitioned from Code 39 to 2D Data Matrix barcodes, gaining more space for critical product data and enabling better scanning accuracy. Cla-Val no longer needs to perform annual inventory audits and shipping errors due to mislabeling, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.

“BarTender gave us the flexibility to enhance everything—from label control to printer performance,” says Leslie Lushbaugh, Project Manager ERP at Cla-Val. “It’s not just software—it’s how we keep product moving every day.”