Packaging artwork approval - Can it ever be right first time?

Managing your artwork approval process can often present some challenges, and if you are reading this then you may well understand how complex and painful that feels at times – but approached with focus in the right areas this needn’t be the case!

Clearly there are complexities and multiple moving parts within the process, with the need to align multiple stakeholders, the frustration of missing or incorrect information and time critical tasks running late – that list may go on in some cases! This often leads to high levels of frustration and the perception that the artwork production and approval process itself is to blame for delayed product launches.

Consider the fact that every additional round of revisions to your packaging artwork could quite easily lead to each stakeholder spending on average an additional 15 minutes of their time reviewing, revising or discussing these changes. If you accumulate the fact that you may have a portfolio of products that requires you processing 500 artworks per year and each of those artworks has 2 “unnecessary” rounds of revisions, that equates to a staggering 250 hours of time spent?per person?repeating tasks that could have been completed “right first time”. Now who wouldn’t want to get the time and cost associated to those 6 weeks back?!

We talk a lot about the benefits of a “right first time” mentality and approach. Here we highlight 4 key areas of focus that we feel will lead you to improve your time, cost and quality management within the packaging artwork production and approval process and beyond…

1.???Digital workflow

The ability to configure the processes that work for your business within a digital workflow tool are crucial. Implemented correctly, this will enable you to streamline your entire process from the collation of assets through to the final release of artwork files, engaging all stakeholders in one place (irrespective of their physical location), within a consistent process that provides a “single source of truth” and business wide visibility of all projects.

2.???Packaging content management

The primary driver of the need for artwork revisions is incorrect content provided as part of the original brief. The key elements required to create your packaging artwork (pack copy, die line, design template / guide, photography etc) ordinarily come from different sources and stakeholders, but each one of these can be collated, reviewed and approved as a mandatory “approval gate” within your digital workflow tool prior to artwork production commencing.

3.???Automation

The technical execution of “right first time” should then eradicate any opportunity for human error after spending your time ensuring that all of you packaging content is correct. This can be achieved by using automation tools within the artwork production process that ensure the content you have approved is the content that appears on your packaging artwork – technology has advanced to the point where you can even position yourself to manage this content directly to produce artworks without any other human interaction at all!

4.???Asset repurposing

As a result of centralising all of your approved packaging related content and data the opportunity presents itself to repurpose this and create assets other than just the packaging artwork file. Using associated workflows you can create and distribute assets such as 3D pack shots along with key packaging text content that is needed alongside these images on e-commerce sites or other instore and online marketing material – all with 100% confidence that the content will be consistent.

With the desire for enhanced brand presence set against todays relentless demand for speed to market and cost efficiency, now is the time to invest in building best-in-class, fully integrated solutions that transform your packaging design and production processes to support both instore and online requirements.?

JPG is a global packaging brand management company - we bring brands to life through creative ingenuity and technical innovation.

Create - Brand strategy, design and adaptation

Apply - Right first time artwork, prepress and digital asset production?

Launch - Brand management software solution

If you want to make your packaging design and production world a better place to be, drop us a line and let’s make it happen together!

www.jpgglobal.net