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by Mox on July 27, 2023
We know the artwork approval process can be daunting. It involves managing countless assets, keeping up with emails, and striving to meet tight deadlines. While it's not an easy job, there's a tool that can help streamline this intricate process: artwork approval software.
This software offers features beyond essential asset management. It allows you to customize workflows tailored to the needs of your team and collaborators, optimizing the artwork approval process.
Preparing your packaging artwork for the market often comes with challenges. Deadlines are strict, the number of stakeholders involved can be extensive, and the stakes are high. Effective artwork approval software can alleviate these pressures, making the process more efficient and manageable.
Do you need artwork approval software? In this guide, we explore the key features and benefits of these platforms and discuss how solutions like Mox can transform the way you work.
Table of Contents
- The Basics of Artwork Approval Software
- The Benefits of Approval Software
- 5 Signs You Need Artwork Approval Software
- Mox: Your 3-in-1 Packaging Artwork Management Software
The Basics of Artwork Approval Software
The artwork approval process might seem rigid when considering legal guidelines and other standards. But artwork approval software automates and optimizes the entire workflow for every collaborator.
Artwork approval software provides a centralized hub that tracks the asset development progress, notifies team members, allows for remote collaboration, provides advanced proofing tools, and much more.
Key Use Cases
The artwork approval process has many moving parts, each of which is important. While you can’t change the process, you can improve your workflow for every aspect of the process using artwork approval software.
For example, stakeholders can use the software to view approvals and communicate with team members in real-time. This ensures nothing slips through the cracks during complex approval projects.
Artwork approval software can also be used to proof packaging assets. Stakeholders can compare files, share their feedback, and request changes right inside the software.
Key Features
Artwork approval software comes with a wide range of helpful key features to streamline approval. Some of these key features include:
- Advanced digital proofing tools for fine-tuning packaging design elements
- Drag-and-drop workflow builders for creating custom workflows that keep projects moving forward
- Project pages that show you which projects are on time, at risk, or overdue, at a glance
- Template creation for ensuring consistent processes across current and future projects
- Digital asset management for filing, storing, and managing packaging assets, as well as tracking important metadata
The Benefits of Approval Software
Artwork approval can take a lot of work from many team members. Artwork approval software makes that work much easier by improving efficiency and visibility. Let's discuss some of the key benefits you may experience within your organization.
Reduced Manual Work
The software automates several aspects of the approval process, reducing the need for constant manual intervention. For example, instead of requiring a team member to create and share a hard-copy proof or attach an electronic copy to an email manually, the software can automatically distribute the artwork to all relevant parties at the right time.
Streamlined Collaboration
With instant communication features, artwork approval software allows collaborators and stakeholders to provide immediate feedback, significantly improving collaboration.
For example, a designer could immediately tweak a design based on real-time comments from a marketing director rather than waiting for an email response.
Lower Costs
Efficient artwork approval can lower operational costs over time. For example, the quick detection and correction of errors facilitated by the software can prevent costly reprinting or reworking of designs.
Enhanced Access Control
Artwork approval software ensures that only authorized individuals can access and approve the artwork, eliminating errors due to miscommunication or unauthorized changes. This could be as specific as allowing only the Creative Director to approve the final design before it goes to print, thereby avoiding costly mistakes.
5 Signs You Need Artwork Approval Software
Even after understanding its benefits, you may still be on the fence when it comes to implementing artwork approval software. If that’s the case, there are a few signs that an approval platform might be worth a try for your organization.
#1. You’re Experiencing More Packaging Mistakes
Packaging mistakes can derail a project that already costs countless dollars and hours. Even a simple typo can hold up months of work, and there’s always something at stake.
Things like spelling errors, incorrect barcodes, missing information, and inaccurate technical details are easily missed. Fortunately, these issues are easier to spot and correct when the team is collaborating in one central place.
Artwork approval software solves many of these problems. With a central hub to host all versions of artwork, every collaborator and stakeholder has eyes on every detail of their project.
#2. You Lack Consistent Approval Workflows
Inefficient artwork approval workflows almost always ensure a project’s failure. With so many stakeholders and deadlines, artwork approval requires a strict schedule everyone must follow.
Mistakes and technical errors happen. No matter how much planning and risk management you do, you can’t account for everything. The next best thing is accounting for every variable.
Artwork approval software helps with that by helping users create custom workflows. Users can save these workflows and use them across projects so the process is consistent for everyone involved.
#3. You’re Managing Stakeholder Feedback via Email
Emails get lost, ignored, or otherwise neglected all the time. It’s unfortunate, but email isn’t as reliable as it needs to be for the artwork approval process.
Consider how many collaborators, stakeholders, and teams your artwork approval projects involve. You need direct, instant, organized feedback that email just can't deliver.
That’s where artwork approval software comes into the picture. These platforms provide a place to give and view feedback instantly, ensuring everybody is on the same page.
#4. You're Unable to Find Assets When You Need Them
The artwork approval process involves much more than the name implies. Tracking down assets can take as much time as approving the artwork.
When you account for all the different versions of a single piece of artwork alone, every asset is exponentially more difficult to track. Add tight deadlines into the mix, and you have anything but an easy task.
On the other hand, artwork approval software provides instant access to every version of every asset. Think of it as a database rather than a pile of documents across a desk.
#5. You’re Struggling to Keep Stakeholders on Track
There are many stakeholders involved in artwork approval. That’s one reason the process can seem so difficult at times. However, it's also the only way you can be sure you’ve arrived at the perfect piece of artwork.
Since stakeholders have a significant say in artwork approval, keeping everyone in the loop is crucial. That can be difficult if you don’t have the right tools.
Artwork approval software displays the same information to every collaborator and stakeholder simultaneously. Everyone can see each other’s input and provide their own, reducing the chances of discrepancies.
Mox: Your 3-in-1 Packaging Artwork Management Software
If you’re ready to implement artwork approval software, consider Mox, the 3-in-1 packaging artwork management software. From collaboration to proofing to asset management, Mox is a scalable tool that can help you create artwork and get everyone’s approval.
Mox enables simplified project management by allowing you to create custom workflows, assign tasks to stakeholders, and more. Mox also provides digital asset management (DAM), ensuring you're able to store and locate critical asset files whenever you need them.
The tools don't stop there. Mox also offers advanced digital proofing tools ranging from the Font Finder to PDF markup. The ability to compare file versions makes it easy to ensure important changes have been made.
Why our customers love Mox: Mox customers love how the platform provides support for every step in the packaging approval process—no other tools required. Our customers use the project management tools to build workflows and assign approval tasks. They then use our digital proofing tools to provide asset feedback, compare file versions, ensure compliance, and gain approval from key stakeholders. And once approval is obtained, they use our DAM tools to store all files for future reference and use.
Need Artwork Approval Software? Try Mox.
Artwork approval is complicated. While you can contend with the process and complete every step manually, there’s a much more efficient way.
If you’re tired of tracking down assets in your email inbox, constantly making new workflows, or struggling to keep projects moving forward, Mox has everything you need. If you’re ready to streamline your artwork approval process, start a free trial of Mox today!