Artwork approval is a critical process that can significantly impact the success of a product launch. However, manual approval methods often lead to serious errors, increased costs, and collaboration challenges.
In this guide, we explore the consequences of manual approval and how they just might hinder your business growth. We also dive into the solution to manual artwork approval: artwork management software.
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Manual artwork approval processes can have significant implications for the efficiency and success of a product launch. In fact, there are various consequences of continuing to approve artwork manually, from increased errors to subpar business growth.
When it comes to manual artwork approval, there's a risk of costly errors sneaking in. Without a centralized system, it's easy to lose track of who reviewed the project and who didn't. Plus, dealing with multiple versions of the artwork can get messy, which might cause reviewers to miss essential edits. From small typos to bigger design discrepancies, these errors can affect the overall quality and compliance of the artwork.
Be prepared for increased expenses. Managing reviews manually can be quite costly, often requiring a dedicated person just to keep things in order. The inefficiencies of manual workflows can lead to duplicated efforts and numerous review rounds, adding to the overall expenses.
And let's not forget about the cost of errors. Mistakes in the artwork can lead to complete reprints, involving extra expenses for prepress time, plates, ink, substrate, and shipping. Beyond that, there might be fines from retailers, product recalls, decreased consumer engagement, damage to your brand's reputation, and an unhappy sales team.
Manual artwork approval can drain your time. Imagine multiple reviews happening one after the other instead of at the same time. The whole process of printing and physically delivering hard-copy proofs can eat up precious hours, with only one person able to review them at a time.
And don't think for a second that sending proofs as PDFs via email is the better solution. Asynchronous, unsequenced email-based annotations are extremely hard to compile and process.
Launch delays are a common result of the disorganized manual artwork approval process. It messes up those carefully planned timelines, leading to artwork production and usage delays. If the artwork is tied to a product launch, these delays can cause a domino effect, ultimately pushing back your launch date.
Teams struggling through manual approval processes may find it tricky to work together seamlessly without a centralized system. A lack of real-time collaboration can lead to miscommunications and delays in receiving approvals.
Remote employees might face an even tougher time with manual approval. They can't easily access paper copies of files, which makes it harder for them to review and give timely feedback. Plus, using emails to send PDFs back and forth can lead to overwhelming email threads that become difficult to manage.
As a result, remote employees might feel disconnected and less engaged in the approval process, possibly impacting the artwork's overall quality.
All the challenges we've discussed—the increased errors, the mounting costs, the lost time, and the subpar collaboration—can take a toll on your team's morale. Dealing with manual artwork approval inefficiencies can be frustrating for team members.
Constantly encountering errors, facing delays, and struggling to collaborate effectively can lead to a sense of dissatisfaction and demotivation. When team members feel frustrated and disheartened, it can impact their overall productivity and creativity.
All of the above consequences, from increased errors to frustrated teams, create roadblocks to progress. These roadblocks lead to missed opportunities in the market.
Customers might become disappointed with delays, affecting their loyalty to your brand. Retailers may lose faith in your ability to develop products and sales teams may end up disgruntled and disengaged. The bottom line is that without smooth collaboration, introducing new products becomes a challenge, making it tough to keep up with competitors and customer demands.
Manual processes are harder to track. When you need to check the artwork's history to see who requested changes and when, it becomes much harder to see who did what.
If you uncover an error, you may find yourself sifting through emails, calling the legal department, or trying to piece together the events to find out where things went wrong. As a result, you'll waste time and money, and experience added stress.
Artwork management software is the ultimate solution for companies facing challenges in effectively managing their artwork. This powerful tool streamlines the design approval and artwork approval processes by automating various steps.
For example, with artwork management software, companies can bid farewell to manual processes and spreadsheets, ushering in improved efficiency and speed. By automating the creation, approval, and updates of artwork, businesses can redirect their efforts to other critical areas.
Artwork management software also facilitates better collaboration and communication among departments and external stakeholders involved in the artwork creation process. It provides a centralized platform, reducing the risk of miscommunications and mistakes while effectively tracking changes and approvals throughout the artwork creation journey.
Artwork management software offers numerous advantages that can transform your organization's workflows and boost overall efficiency. Here are some of the key benefits of adopting digital proofing software:
By leveraging artwork management software, companies can achieve a more streamlined, cost-effective, and efficient approach to labeling, ultimately leading to increased profitability, improved employee happiness, and a competitive edge in the market.
When it comes to artwork approval and packaging artwork management, Mox stands out as a powerful and versatile solution tailored to the needs of small to mid-tier brands.
Here's why you should consider choosing Mox:
With Mox, you can build brands people love by leveraging your content throughout the artwork process, ensuring consumers recognize, trust, and cherish your brand on store shelves and the web. So, why choose Mox? Because it's the all-in-one solution to elevate your artwork management strategy.
Why our customers love Mox: Mox customers have seen firsthand the benefits of project management software. For example, one of our customers reduced their number of packaging artwork revisions from over 50 to 12 simply because they can now visualize changes in real time. That same team cut the time it took to create artwork, conduct approvals, and send approved artwork to print in half with Mox.
In this guide, we've explored the consequences of manual artwork approval and the challenges it poses to product launches. Companies can turn to Mox's artwork management software to overcome these hurdles.
Mox streamlines the approval process by automating various steps, ensuring better stakeholder collaboration and communication. With templates and reference files for artwork proofing, it helps you maintain brand standards and regulatory compliance, reducing the likelihood of errors and product recalls.
To simplify your artwork approval process and elevate your brand, request a demo of Mox today. Embrace the benefits of automation and unleash your team's creativity for a successful product launch and business growth.