Card Solution Case Studies

Have a question about identifying your workplace? Call the specialists at AB&R 1-800-281-3056


Memphis Zoo

Memphis Zoo Increases Security and Streamlines Employee Timekeeping with On-Site, On-Demand ID Card Printing System

Founded in 1906 and spanning 70 acres in the middle of Memphis’ Overton Park, the Memphis Zoo is one of the finest such parks in the nation. “As a public service organization, we wanted to increase visitor security and streamline internal operations by printing personalized staff ID badges on-site,” said Jim Robbins, loss prevention manager. “For some time, we had been using a third-party vendor, which meant we had to wait for cards for new employees, and were also unable to include their photo.”

At the heart of the system is the Zebra P110i from the Zebra Value Line of compact and affordable single-sided printers, specifically created for organizations like the Memphis Zoo working on tight budgets or with moderate printing volume. The printer pairs with Zebra’s i-Series® intelligent supplies to produce high-quality printed cards and features ribbon type detection, low-ribbon warning and automatic printer configuration. 

Additional features include:
• The Load-N-Go™ drop-in ribbon cartridge with integrated cleaning roller
• LCD message display to guide printer operation
• Integrated card output hopper that folds into the printer to avoid being lost or damaged when not in use
• Magnetic stripe encoding

“Beyond enhancing security, the Zebra printer’s greatest advantages are its versatility and ease of use,” added Robbins. “We have approximately 200 employees, more during the spring and summer months. Although some specific employees use proximity cards for restricted areas, most have magnetic stripe cards, which are also used to collect time and attendance information for our payroll system.“ “The printer lets us encode the employee information at the same time we print the card, eliminating the need for temporary badges,” he continued. “These combined features have helped reduce payroll processing time, while improving security and access control throughout the grounds.”

City of Unalaska, Alaska

Alaskan City Creates Cards for Community/Recreation Center Patrons

Unalaska, the 11th largest city in Alaska, is a bustling community of just over 4,000 residents, located along the Aleutian Chain, approximately 800 miles southwest of Anchorage. Commercial fishing and crabbing is a major industry. Dutch Harbor, the official name of the city’s port and often featured on the Discovery Channel TV show “Deadliest Catch,” is often applied to the portion of the City of Unalaska located on Amaknak Island, which is connected by bridge to the rest of the city on Unalaska Island.

Due to seasonal work, the city has a transient population that uses their facilities. Therefore, passes to their community and aquatic centers must carry differing lengths, from one month to one year. When Frank Ambrose wanted his department to undergo an upgrade of their RecTrac software, created by Vermont Systems specifically for Parks and Recreation departments and used to manage payments, schedule, register and document image, the purchase of a card printer was a part of the
improvement.  “We wanted to print our own passes,” Ambrose acknowledges. “We simply wanted a more efficient way to track patrons of our community and aquatic centers.” 

The best-selling card printer on the market, the P330i, a single-sided, full-color plastic card printer/encoder, prints sharp, readable bar codes, ID photos, graphics and text, edge-to-edge, in just seconds. It features Zebra’s revolutionary i-Series functionality, which simplifies card printing via automatic driver configuration, intelligent color optimization and a special RFID system for ribbon image counter and ribbon low notification. 

With this printer, Ambrose’s department prints a barcode on the bottom of each card, which is read by a dual-purpose credit card reader. Cards are printed at the entrance to the community center by any one of the four employees located there or two employees who work upstairs. The department uses a Logitech camera to photograph patrons. “The printer has accomplished everything we’ve wanted,” reports Ambrose. “Everything is tied into the card with a picture of the patron. The printer expedites our processes, is easy to use and is in-line with what is used at other health clubs and similar facilities. It is speedy, user-friendly and compact. 

“Currently, we are only printing on one side of the card but we have the capability to print on both sides,” Ambrose adds. “We’re considering producing a Youth ID for after-school programs. By printing on both sides, we could include more information, such as a photo ID, birth date and contact information. We are also looking at networking the printer so that people in other departments could also print cards directly from their own desks. In addition, we are considering using cards for employee IDs and access control. “We feel we have the right card printer to do all these new applications.”

Have a question about identifying your workplace? Call the specialists at AB&R 1-800-281-3056