etiquetaselectronicas.io

In this section

Tools for evaluating electronic shelf labels

Published by Keonex, a manufacturer and implementer of electronic shelf labels. How we work and why we say so: methodology and transparency.

Four pieces for four moments in buying electronic shelf labels: finding out whether they pay off, requesting offers that can be compared, spotting which vendor would lock you in, and testing in one store before signing the rollout. None contains vendor prices, and none replaces a site visit to your store.

Before you open any of them

Have five figures from your own business ready: number of stores, priced SKUs on the shelf per store, how many price changes you make in a normal week, how many hours go into printing and placing paper labels, and which system holds the price today (ERP, POS, a spreadsheet). With those, the calculator takes ten minutes and the RFP stops being generic. If you are still unclear on how the system works, start with the guide and what an electronic shelf label is.

The four, in project order

Total cost and ROI calculator

This answers the first question: does it pay? It adds up the upfront outlay and the recurring costs over the period you choose, subtracts the savings you estimate, and compares the result with renting the system instead of buying it. Every assumption stays visible, so you can run the pessimistic case as well as the central one. It lives in this section: TCO calculator.

RFP template

For when you are about to ask for offers. It covers eight blocks: solution requirements, radio and coverage, integration with your systems, data ownership and portability, service levels, batteries and end of life, price breakdown, and references. It ends with a weighting table for scoring the answers, which is worth fixing before any proposal is opened. Copy it and adapt it: RFP template.

Vendor lock-in checklist

Once offers are on the table the question shifts: if I want to leave in five years, can I? The checklist scores five blocks (data exit, open APIs, label interoperability, contract exit terms and firmware dependency) and gives you a reading of how tied in you would be. Run it on every finalist the same way, including the one you already know: vendor checklist.

Pilot checklist

The last one sits outside this section, as its own section of the page on the pilot project in the implementation guide. That is where you set the baseline measurement, the KPIs, the duration and, above all, the success criterion written down before anything is installed. A pilot without one ends in “it went well” and nobody can prove it.

What you take away from each

Stage Tool Output
Deciding whether it is worth it TCO calculator Your own figure, with its assumptions visible
Requesting offers RFP template The same questions for every vendor
Comparing finalists Vendor checklist A lock-in risk score
Validating before rollout Pilot checklist Success criteria agreed in advance

Limits

They give no market prices, recommend no brand and guarantee no return; the output is only as good as the data you put in. Technical terms such as e-paper are explained in the glossary. This site is published by Keonex, which makes and implements electronic shelf label systems. That is why the checklist criteria are written to apply equally to any vendor, Keonex included.

Frequently asked questions

Which tool should I start with?

The cost calculator, because it forces you to put numbers on what are still hunches. With that calculation done, the RFP and the vendor checklist become more concrete.

Do the tools include vendor prices?

No. You enter the assumptions. A tool with someone else's prices baked in would give you a false sense of comparison.

Do I have to register to use them?

No. The calculator does its sums in your browser and sends nothing you type. The RFP template and the checklists are plain text on the page, with no form: copy them and adapt them.

Keep reading