In the current competitive marketplace, the design and appearance of packaging are critical in shaping a brand's image and drawing in shoppers. As such, the need for effective management of packaging artworks is growing more vital, given the accelerated pace of design updates, the increasing volume of files, and the number of personnel involved in the process.
Have you read my article, “Product Packaging Software - What Is It?” If you were curious about the “for brand owners” software that handles artwork management, you’re not alone. Every brand owner should have one. An artwork management system is a powerful tool that can help companies manage their packaging artwork more effectively, offering numerous benefits.
But no company is identical to another; each has different processes, challenges, and needs. So, how do you choose artwork management solutions that are right for your company? There are several parameters to consider. Let's start with some of our customer stories, their challenges, and how they resolved them.
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A few years ago, a client was faced with the challenge that all knowledge concerning their vast and expanding packaging and print materials, as well as artwork production, was managed by one individual who coordinated everything manually. This employee, reliant on an expensive design agency for graphics, made it work for a long time due to her efficiency. However, as her knowledge became a bottleneck and costs increased, the company sought a solution and chose Collabra's Cway artwork management tool. This tool offered complete artwork lifecycle management and support from experts in both strategic and operational areas.
Consequently, all knowledge was documented, and the Collabra team took over operational tasks. The aforementioned employee advanced to become a Cway admin, artwork management costs were significantly reduced, and everyone involved in packaging design gained firsthand access to previously hard-to-reach information and assistance.
The company performed surveys to measure the results, which showed a remarkable improvement in time savings and customer satisfaction:
Another client had spread their graphic assets across a multitude of design suppliers over time. As employees came and went, they lost track of many of these assets, making it very time-consuming to modify existing files—a common issue within the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry.
By acquiring Cway and enlisting the team to reassemble the assets, within a year, approximately 90% of the assets were found or re-created from print materials and similar artworks, and stored in Cway. This regained control over valuable assets, resulting in a significantly shorter time-to-market, as the "finding files" stage was removed from their process. Also, by updating and creating new artworks in Cway, they eliminated the source of the problem.
Another client initially acquired an industry-standard artwork management system but found it too complex and demanding for their organization. One of the final showstoppers with this artwork management software was that the required documentation timeline was out of sync with the manufacturing process, causing delays in artwork production and risking launch windows.
Eventually, they chose Cway for its flexibility, allowing them to insert pending documentation later in the artwork process, eliminating delays and ensuring launch window presence.
For an artwork management solution to be truly valuable, it should be evaluated based on how well it addresses specific company issues, the time it saves, and its ease of use. It's also beneficial to consider the total artwork management process while you’re at it.
Here are some parameters:
In summary, the top benefits you should expect from an excellent artwork management system include:
An artwork management system significantly enhances efficiency by automating the creation, approval, and update cycle of packaging artwork. This automation reduces the time and effort needed to manage packaging artworks, freeing up resources to concentrate on other business aspects.
Artwork management spans various departments and stakeholders, such as marketing, design, regulatory, and legal teams. A centralized artwork management system fosters collaboration and communication, mitigating the risk of miscommunications and errors. It streamlines change tracking and approvals, ensuring alignment across all teams. A global artwork management system unites international colleagues under a single, cohesive system.
An artwork management system ensures that packaging artwork adheres to brand standards and regulatory mandates. By providing templates and guidelines, it guarantees that artwork meets all requirements and receives necessary approvals before production, thereby reducing costly errors and potential recalls.
An artwork management system offers increased oversight and management of the artwork creation process. Companies can track artwork progress, monitor approvals, and pinpoint bottlenecks or issues, enabling them to refine and enhance their artwork management operations over time.
Implementing an artwork management system cuts costs related to packaging artwork creation and management. It streamlines manual processes, lowering the likelihood of costly errors and the subsequent need for corrections.
Good luck!