How Do You Connect ESL, Scanners and Printers to Your POS or ERP?
In short
You connect them through an integration layer. Prices flow from your POS, ERP or a price file to the electronic shelf labels and ePaper signs; handheld apps send scans back to your system; and label printers pull their data from the same records. Each link runs automatically, so nobody re-keys prices, counts or labels.
Most shops and warehouses already have a system that knows the truth: the POS, the ERP or the warehouse management system (WMS). The trouble starts at the edges.
Prices are typed into a label printer by hand. Stock counts are written on paper and keyed in later. Shelf tags show last week’s promotion. Each of these is a gap between the system and the floor.
This article explains how each piece of store and warehouse hardware connects to your business system, and what to check before an integration project starts.
Why connect store hardware to your POS or ERP at all?
Every time someone re-types data, two things happen: it takes time, and it can go wrong. A connected setup removes the re-typing.
- Prices are changed once, in your system, and reach the shelf.
- Scans from the floor land in your system directly.
- Labels print from the same records the system already holds.
The goal is a single source of truth. The hardware shows or collects data; your business system keeps it.
How do electronic shelf labels and ePaper signs get their prices?
Pricer electronic shelf labels are managed by Pricer’s own platform. Pricer describes Pricer Plaza as its cloud-based platform for price updates and task automation across the whole label system.
Our job is the link between your system and that platform. There are three common patterns:
| Source of prices | How the link works | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| POS | Prices and promotions are read from the POS as they change | Shops whose POS holds the master price |
| ERP | The ERP sends prices for each branch | Chains with central pricing |
| Price file | A file is exported on a schedule and picked up automatically | Systems with no direct connection |
ePaper signs for promotions, menus and notices can be driven from the same data. A promotion can then start on the shelf label and the sign together.
How do barcode scanners and handhelds send data back?
Data also flows the other way, from the floor to the system.
A barcode scanner at the till is usually the simple case: it reads the code and the POS looks up the item.
Mobile computers are different. Staff use them away from the till, for stock counts, goods receiving, picking and price checks. They need an app that:
- Shows the right task for the job.
- Checks each scan against your system.
- Sends the result back, or holds it until the connection returns.
We write custom Android apps for Zebra and Honeywell handhelds that do exactly this. Where the devices are managed with SOTI MobiControl, the apps can be distributed through it.
How do label printers print from ERP or WMS data?
Carton labels, shelf labels and asset tags should come from system records, not from someone typing into a printer.
BarTender label design software is built for this. BarTender states that it can integrate with any business system such as ERP, WMS or MES, using REST APIs, file drop or no-code builders. It also supports more than 12,000 printer drivers, so it can work with the barcode printers you already have.
A typical flow: goods are received in the WMS, a label job is triggered and the carton label prints at the receiving bay.
What does a connected flow look like end to end?
Take a weekly promotion in a small chain, as an example of how the pieces fit together:
- The buying team sets the promotion prices in the ERP, with a start and end date.
- On the start date, the integration sends the new prices to the label platform, and the shelf labels and ePaper signs change.
- The POS charges the same price at the till, because it reads the same record.
- Staff use a handheld app to check a sample of shelves against the system.
- When the promotion ends, the labels and signs return to the regular price without anyone visiting the shelf.
No step involves printing a paper tag or re-typing a price.
API or price file: which link should you choose?
Both work. The right one depends on your system and your team.
- An API usually gives the quickest updates, when your system offers one.
- A scheduled file works with almost any system that can export data, and is easy to check by eye.
- A database connection can suit older systems, but needs care so the integration never slows the live system.
When in doubt, start with the simplest link that meets the business need. It can be upgraded later.
What should you check before an integration project starts?
A short checklist avoids most surprises:
- Which system is the master? Decide where each piece of data is owned: prices, products, stock, assets.
- Is the data clean? Missing barcodes and duplicate items show up quickly once they reach a shelf label.
- How often must it update? Instant, hourly or overnight changes the design.
- What happens when something fails? Someone should be alerted, and changes should not be lost.
- Who looks after it? Integrations need an owner after go-live.
Our consulting work covers these questions before any hardware is ordered.
How does Techcon Solution build these integrations?
We supply the hardware and build the software around it. Our software development work covers:
- Linking ESL and ePaper signage to your POS, ERP or price files.
- Custom Android apps for Zebra and Honeywell handhelds.
- Web and back-office systems.
- ZOVYX, our own asset management system.
Because the same team supplies the labels, handhelds and printers, there is one contact for the whole chain, from the shelf to your system. See our retail and warehouse & logistics solutions, or get in touch to describe your setup.
Frequently asked questions
Can electronic shelf labels take prices straight from our POS or ERP?
Yes. We build integrations that send prices and promotions from your POS, ERP or price files to the electronic shelf labels and ePaper signs, so nobody has to re-enter them.
What if our system has no API?
A scheduled price file works well. Your system exports prices on a schedule, and the integration picks up the file and sends the changes to the labels.
Do barcode scanners need special software to work with our POS?
A scanner at the till usually works with the POS directly. Handheld mobile computers doing stock counts, receiving or picking need an app that sends the scans to your system, which is where a custom Android app comes in.
Can label printing be automated from our ERP or WMS?
Yes. BarTender states that it can integrate with business systems such as ERP, WMS and MES, using REST APIs, file drop or no-code builders.
How many printers does BarTender support?
BarTender states that it supports more than 12,000 printer drivers.
Do you build apps for Zebra and Honeywell handhelds?
Yes. Techcon Solution develops custom Android apps for Zebra and Honeywell handhelds, and they can be distributed through SOTI MobiControl where the devices are managed with it.
