Developing a paper trail, and assigning someone to handle the paperwork and manage routine tasks may feel comfortable and familiar, but it can lead to unfortunate consequences.
If something gets overlooked, filed incorrectly, includes misinformation, or isn’t easily adapted; fixing those mistakes can cost time. Add project complexity, increased number of SKUs never mind versioning and a recipe for disaster is in development, not your NPD!
Time costs money, but time isn’t the only thing your team could be wasting if your artwork and packaging processes are still manual (for example, heavy reliance on email, Word, and Excel spreadsheets). There are hidden costs which could bring any new product or project to an abrupt halt – and a simple solution to avoid this outcome.
The Cost of Workforce Performance
For example, an ingredient change impacts the product label, which requires a change request(s) that add days onto your critical path when working manually. The most recent and accurate information needs to be verified and approved, before it can go to print.
Digitising your processes allows for transparency and accuracy; the 4Pack dashboard allows each team member to see what their next responsibility is, and who else is working on the project, and it allows the project manager to monitor any bottleneck moments during the process.
Rather than chasing people down to complete work in person or via email, the cloud-based approach streamlines a product’s journey from concept to market. You can easily search for archived artwork, data and product information, see who has recently updated this information, and manage workflow.
Understanding how much time and resource your team needs for each task is important; accurate reports can help inform your project manager on how to best utilise these resources. Thus, saving time and money.
.
Compliance and Protection
If mistakes are made, it can open up opportunities for legal action against the brand and company. This is one of several instances where incorrect information has resulted in recalling products, a problem that costs companies millions every year. Nothing derails progress as completely as misinformation, or misrepresentation of your brand in your packaging. Certain ingredients must be legally declared such as sugar, caffeine and food colourings, as well as allergen ingredients highlighted. Failure to do so could result in costly lawsuits as well as putting the consumer at risk.
However, recipes change – they adapt to suit the market, and having a flexible, digital process for updating the label information provides a level of protection for food and beverage companies. When the label changes, there is a tracked process as to where that change came from and who approved it – rather than that information getting lost in email traffic, project trackers and out of control version management.
