Scan, print, book. One motion at the bench.

Name: Next Horizon shipping console
Brand: Next Horizon
Availability: PreOrder

The shipping console is a machine for the packing bench. The operator scans an item, Next Horizon picks the carrier, and the station prints the carrier label and the item's passport label together. The pickup is booked before the parcel reaches the bin.

Ask about the pilot The two models

Coming soon In pilot with a small group of customers. Final specifications and pricing on request.

Two ways to run a bench.

Whether the passport was applied upstream or has to be created at pick, the station runs the same way for the operator: scan, confirm, apply.

Scan and go

When the item already carries its QR passport, from the factory, receiving or a batch run.

The operator picks the item for an order.
Scans the QR already on the item.
The screen shows the matched order and item, with image, SKU and destination, for a visual check.
Confirm. The engine picks the carrier and the station prints the carrier label.
Apply the label, drop the parcel in the carrier bin. The pickup is already booked.

Generate at pick

When items are still unlabelled and the passport is created on the spot.

The operator selects the order on the screen.
The station mints the item passport and prints its QR label.
The operator applies the QR to the item.
The engine picks the carrier and the station prints the carrier label, bound to the passport.
Apply, pack, done. Pickup booked automatically.

Batch mode for a prep run before packing: load a batch, the screen shows each item with its picture, the operator applies the printed QR, taps next, repeats. Every item is then passport-ready and the bench runs in scan-and-go.

Two models.

Same software, same labels, same passport. The difference is throughput, media capacity and whether RFID encoding is built in. Figures are indicative until the final design is frozen.

Station Compact Small

Countertop unit for small shippers and low to medium volume.

Touchscreen10.1 inch, running the Next Horizon app
Scanner2D scan window for QR and barcodes
Print engine4 inch, direct thermal and thermal transfer
MediaRoll up to 110 mm wide, 127 mm outer diameter
ThroughputAbout 200 labels an hour, target
RFIDUHF encoder as an optional add-on
FootprintAbout 230 x 200 mm, 300 mm high

Station Pro Big

High-throughput station for 3PLs and high-volume benches.

Touchscreen13.3 inch, larger work view
Scanner2D scan window plus a tethered handheld in a side holster
Print engineHigh-speed 4 inch with auto-cutter
MediaLarge roll, 200 mm outer diameter, and fanfold
ThroughputAbout 600 labels an hour, target
RFIDUHF encoder built in
FootprintAbout 320 x 260 mm, 420 mm high, weighted base

What is inside, and why it matters.

2D scannerReads the QR passport and standard 1D and 2D barcodes, so the item is identified in one gesture.

4 inch print enginePrints the carrier label and the QR passport label. Direct thermal for speed, thermal transfer for labels that have to last.

UHF RFID encoderWrites the same GS1 identity to a RAIN RFID tag in the same pass, so a carton can be read at the dock without line of sight.

Media bayHolds the roll with fanfold feed. The printhead is field-replaceable.

ConnectivityWi-Fi, Ethernet and USB, to Next Horizon and to peripherals.

Passive coolingBuilt for continuous duty. The power brick sits outside the unit to keep heat away from the electronics.

The carrier is decided at the moment of scan, not pre-set by the shipper.

The station executes. The decision sits in Next Horizon: your rules on cost, speed, cut-off times and destination, with a fallback to the next best carrier if one is past cut-off. After the scan, the same identity answers as a QR today and as an RFID read at sortation tomorrow.

Where to go next.

Questions we get asked.

Is the shipping console available today?

It is in pilot with a small group of customers. Two models are planned, Compact and Pro. Specifications on this page are indicative until the final design is frozen, and pricing is shared on request.

Do I need a separate computer or software?

No. The station runs the Next Horizon app on its own touchscreen and connects over Wi-Fi, Ethernet or USB. Your orders, carriers and passports are the same ones you see in the console.

Can I use my own carrier contracts with it?

Yes. The engine picks the carrier from the accounts you connect, your own or the negotiated rates in France and the UK, according to your rules on cost, speed and cut-off.

What does it print?

The carrier label and the item's QR passport label, on 4 inch media, direct thermal or thermal transfer. The Pro model, and the Compact with the add-on, also encode a UHF RFID tag with the same identity.

What happens if the item has no passport yet?

The station mints one at pick: it prints the QR label, the operator applies it, and the carrier label is bound to that passport. Items that already carry a QR run in scan-and-go.