You see, manual label management has a nasty habit of throwing a wrench into even the best-laid plans. Maybe a slow approval process leaves your product launch endlessly delayed, costing you valuable time and money. Or it's a silly error on the packaging that slips through the cracks, forcing you to reprint thousands of labels at the last minute.

When it comes to product launches and label compliance, staying ahead of the curve is more important than ever. With new advancements in technology and digital transformation initiatives led by big companies, it's no wonder that businesses of all sizes are looking for ways to keep up. 

Scroll below as we explore the all-too-common pitfalls of manual label management and how a label management solution can help address these challenges.

Challenges with managing artwork and labels manually

For decades, companies have been managing their artwork labels manually. However, there are several pitfalls to this approach, which is why digital transformation heads today are looking for better ways to streamline this process. Let's go over some of the crucial challenges associated with manual label management, and why it isn't cutting it anymore.

Complex regulatory compliance

From changing label regulations to varying requirements across different regions, keeping up with regulatory compliance is tough enough as it is. Manual processes make it even harder, with every label error and missing information increasing the risk of costly compliance violations and damaged brand reputation.

Messy workflows

A label management workflow often includes multiple stages — involving designers, marketers, brand teams, and regulatory personnel — to design and review a label artwork. A workflow that lacks structure can lead to confusion, with no transparency or accountability. It makes it challenging to track who is reviewing the label artwork or what additional checks are pending review.

Slower approvals

With manual label management, getting approvals can feel like pulling teeth. Each stakeholder must review the label, provide feedback, and wait for others to do the same – a process that can drag on for days or even weeks. Meanwhile, with multiple people reviewing a label, the chances of feedback getting scattered or lost in translation are another possibility that further delays approvals.

Label errors

Human error is inevitable when managing labels manually. From typos and incorrect information to outdated graphics and formatting issues, even the smallest mistake can have costly consequences. Not to mention the time and resources wasted on fixing these errors.

Low productivity

Manual label management is a productivity killer, plain and simple. Team members spend valuable time hunting down assets, chasing approvals, and fixing mistakes – time that could be better spent on more strategic tasks. 

Tedious asset retrieval

Finding the right artwork is a challenge faced by teams across departments. Manual label management often means storing assets in disparate locations, making it a challenge to find what you need when you need it. 

How label management software can make work easier for your team

Label management software is a tool that helps you manage label artwork workflows, streamline label approvals, maintain brand consistency, and ensure regulatory compliance, all within the same platform. 

If you are a Digital Transformation Head looking to make work easier for your team, a label management solution might be the answer. Here’s why:

You can achieve 100% regulatory compliance

Tools such as Artwork Flow offer label compliance with AI-powered checks that make it easy to meet all regulatory requirements within your label. You can run label compliance checks for warnings, ingredients, allergens, logos, and more in one go and instantly identify compliance errors.

Users can create customized rulebooks to address different regulatory needs. These rulebooks can be rule-based, allowing for flexible compliance checks. 

Your team can achieve 3X faster approval rates

‍

‍

Flexible approval templates make it easy to curate workflows that suit your team’s needs. Users can add checklist-oriented tasks to ensure no details are missed during reviews. Additionally, reviewers can leave annotation-based feedback on labels using various markup tools for precise comments. 

Other tools such as multiple version compare modes, spell check, measurement scale, braille reader, and more make proofing easier and faster. Version control also makes it easier to store and manage label revisions in one place for easier quick access.

There’s a 90% reduction in artwork retrieval time

‍

A digital asset library makes it easy to search and access label artworks from one location. With one home for all your labels, users can easily find any label by simply typing in what they’re looking for, thanks to auto tags. Custom metadata also allows users to add tags to labels for a personalized way of finding artwork. 

You can filter your search by name, colors, and more and set access control to decide who has access to each file. Plus, version control makes it easy to retrieve multiple versions of a single artwork in no time.

Task management is made simpler, with a 400% improvement

‍

Managers can build flexible workflows, assign checklist-oriented tasks, and set dates, in one go. Managing these tasks is a piece of cake with various task management modes such as List View and Gantt View. 

List view provides a 360-degree overview of all your tasks and dates in one glance whereas Gantt view allows you to track projects based on timelines to make any adjustments or stay ahead of project delays.

Increase the efficiency of your team by 75%

‍

Processes such as manual proofing and disparate feedback processes take away from team productivity. Users can easily share feedback comments with annotations and eliminate any human errors by using proofing tools to catch errors that might have slipped through the cracks. 

Having an overall structured workflow with an asset library, intuitive dashboard, and AI-powered compliance checks boosts efficiency and helps you go to market faster.

Different teams that benefit from having label management software in your tech stack

A label management solution can benefit multiple departments and team members within your organization. Here are a few teams:

Regulatory affairs

Regulatory affairs teams are responsible for ensuring adherence to label standards and regulations. Label management software simplifies label compliance via:

• AI-powered compliance checks to catch label errors.
• Proofing tools that minimize any human errors in labels.
• Fast-tracking label compliance reviews through markup tools.
• Checklist-oriented tasks that outline all the compliance requirements.

‍

New Product Development 

People leading new product development need to manage and continuously collaborate with cross-functional teams to define the product roadmap, validate designs and requirements, and maintain a high level of attention to detail and accuracy. Here’s how a label management tool helps.

• Build detailed workflows, assign tasks, and manage project timelines.
• Collaborate with designers by sharing feedback and providing detailed checklists on tasks.
• Reduce approval delays and maintain accuracy with proofing and markup tools.
• Access any artwork or label design with a centralized library.
• Gain improved visibility and accountability.
• Connect to other tools such as Teams, Outlook, and more.

‍

Packaging innovation

Packaging innovation designers collaborate with the Creative Director and other designers to create innovative and functional packaging for different products. Label management software helps them to:

• Collaborate with other departments to work smoothly.
• Easily connect with various design integrations.
• Build an organized workflow for design approvals and ideation.
• Multi-task on different packaging projects at scale.
• Access and share files through an AI-driven asset library.
• Cut down on approval delays through annotations and proofing tools.

‍

Designers

Designers play an important role in ensuring the visual appeal and accuracy of label artworks. With label management software, designers can:

• Collaborate with stakeholders to share files and control access.
• Track revisions via version control
• Store and access designs from a centralized library.
• Convert, resize, and download files in different formats and sizes.
• Connect to other design integrations such as Figma and Illustrator.
• Get email notifications when reviews are done.
• Fast-track reviews with annotations and proofing tools.

‍

Brand managers

Brand managers are tasked with maintaining brand consistency and ensuring timely product launches. Label management software expedites the approval process by providing:

• Centralized asset library for all brand assets.
• Brand guidelines that can be accessed and shared with a click.
• Proofing tools such as font finder, color extractor, measurement scale, logo check, and more.

‍

Creative teams

Creative teams from marketing, socials, content, and more work on label artwork for a brand. Here’s how label management software benefits such teams:

• Fosters a conducive environment for creativity with fast collaboration.
• Provides intuitive tools and a centralized platform for ideation.
• Adhere to brand guidelines and regulatory constraints with ease.

‍

Best practices for integrating label management into your existing tech stack

Integrating a label management system in your tech stack can be a seamless transition with a bit of planning and a strategic approach.

Identify your label management requirements: Jot down your label management goals, from label workflows to intuitive proofing or regulatory compliance needs. 

Find the right solution: Look for a solution that will seamlessly fit in with your existing systems. A solution that is scalable for your growing business and is compatible with your team will take precedence over the rest.

Data migration strategy: Make sure all your existing artwork designs are transferred to the artwork library in your new label management system for a seamless transition.

Standardize metadata: To standardize custom metadata tagging, teams can come up with a standard naming convention to maintain consistency and ensure easy retrieval of artwork files.

Integration support: Check if your label management system supports other integrations that your team commonly uses to support automation and build a seamless work environment. Most systems integrate with apps such as Teams, Slack, Figma, Illustrator, and more. 

User training: Make sure your team is properly trained and is familiar with the system to maximize its usage and benefits. Several label management platforms offer comprehensive training sessions to ensure your team gets the most out of it.

Final thoughts

As a digital transformation head, choosing the right label management solution can be a daunting task. However, finding a solution that works for your team is much easier once you identify the challenges and pitfalls that are facing your organization.

A label management solution can be the upgrade your tech stack needs for error-free labels, faster approvals, and 100% regulatory compliance. With the right tech by your side, teams can work more efficiently and increase productivity, helping you go to market faster.

Artwork Flow is one such tool that can help you tackle all the challenges with manual label management and help you go to market faster with error-free, compliant labels. You can book a demo of Artwork Flow here to get a peek into all that a label management solution can do for your brand.

‍