Esko introduces Mox for packaging start ups

by Mox on March 20, 2023

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Mox should appeal to small and emerging businesses that need to take control of their packaging needs.

Esko has released Mox, a cloud based packaging workflow tool for small and emerging brands without experience in handling packaging.

The project management application combines proofing and version control with asset management and is built around a subscription model. Mox has been in beta since April last year and received its formal release at the end of January. This turns Esko’s normal approach to software sales, built around Web Center and a host of applications, on its head. Mox is intended to be set up by the user and comes with a trial period before the subscription kicks in.

Esko VP Adrian Fernandez says: “We launched Web Center ten years ago as the tool for managing complex packaging workflows for multinational brands and it is used by many companies around the world. Five years ago we acquired Blue intending this to be for small to medium sized brands, but it proved too much and too expensive for them.

“Smaller brands and emerging brands have the same sort of needs as the large brands, but are forced into using email and managing the process through spreadsheets. This makes it difficult for them to manage their packaging needs.”

Mox has been built on Esko’s experience with larger systems and the common problems that both small and large brands face, including legal messaging, changes to ingredient lists and to include many stakeholders in the process. The adhoc approach creates problems around tracking sign offs and version control to ensure that only the fully approved artwork reaches the converter.

While Mox is aimed at brands and packaging creators, there is an appeal to converters as it should help smaller customers manage the process of creating print ready files, ultimately saving time and reducing waste.

“A user can register and set up Mox in five minutes to be up and running without handing over credit card details,” says Fernandez. “We had one of the beta users pick up a large order from a major retailer and who suddenly needed to create more skus. The graphic designer was able to adjust the overall design and put that into Mox for legal sign off, the ingredient check and on to the marketing and procurement people, eventually being returned to the graphic designer to incorporate the changes. The final artwork is then uploaded and handed to procurement, gaining the UPC code.”

In short it effectively manages a process that a small brand is unlikely to have experienced previously. “It means that essential steps are not missed out,” he adds.

The project management element tracks that process on screen rather than through phone messages and ignored emails. “It lets you see who has the monkey,” Fernandez explains.

The digital proofing tool allows users to view the separations, with the ability to measure the ink coverage and tolerance and to check that CMYK and spot colour elements are correct. The asset management control ensures that the correct versions of elements are used.

Each user is allocated 100Gb of cloud storage for a $95 a month fee with a minimum of three seats amounting to 300Gb of space to work with.

Mox is intended to be as close to self service as possible and to remove friction from the sales process, ensuring that Esko’s people can focus on sales and support for the large systems, which could one day include customers that started out with Mox.

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