Building a strong business case for any software solution calls for the right mix of well-articulated hard and soft benefits. As well as carefully addressing all business drivers and requirements, a good case indicates when to expect a positive return on investment (the shorter the timeframe the better).

We have helped retailers from around the world build successful cost and benefit led business cases for packaging artwork launch and approval software. Whether they currently rely on spreadsheets and emailing PDFs for approval, use an art house ‘added value’ solution or have a not-quite-fit-for-purpose system in place – we’ve shaped a compelling case to suit.

 

No two retailers are the same and so each business case is driven by different needs. Some are process, cost and efficiency led; others totally compliance focused. Then there are those seeking a fully owned and integrated enterprise solution that complies with demanding information security requirements.

Here we highlight some of the common elements that help build a compelling business case to implement a dedicated, retailer owned artwork management solution.

Visibility and one version of the truth: Ensure you have real time information showing exactly where your projects and SKU’s are in the product development process. Eliminate out of date, shared spreadsheets and reliance on third parties to give you status updates.

Complete supply chain engagement: Engaging all supply chain activity through a single solution is key to distributing tasks at each stage of your artwork process - whether supplier, art house or printer. Effective supply chain control and collaboration drives measurable performance. It can significantly improve speed to market and accuracy and result in reduced artwork approval cycles.

Full ownership of a dedicated system: Removing dependence on third party vendor solutions - such as those provided ‘free of charge’ by graphic service providers – gives you the freedom to change supplier without interruption or loss of valuable brand assets.

On-demand reporting and business intelligence: Access to accurate and reliable business insights is critical. The ability to generate on-demand reporting, supplier performance metrics and category analytics will support instant decision-making, giving the agility needed to thrive in this competitive market.

Full audit trail of all actions for compliance: Managing packaging and labeling artwork from a compliance perspective is becoming increasingly complex with more and more regulatory demands landing from across regions and markets. Avoid product recalls related to labeling errors by having a robust stage gate approval process in place. Rely on a full audit history of all actions, which addresses regulatory requirements and a process which promotes user accuracy.

Enterprise integration: To successfully manage your private label portfolio over time, connectivity with third party systems is critical. Whether you need integration with color management applications, external reporting, data warehouse feeds, or to receive information from brand compliance tools or commercial reporting – smooth integration matters. Not only can it drive significant efficiencies across your business, but it can minimize and even remove duplicate and manual tasks.

 

Opal Artwork is implemented and fully supported by an experienced team of private label process management consultants. Configured to meet and evolve with your business processes and the latest industry best practices, Opal Artwork is trusted by some of the most successful private label retailers globally to develop, grow and protect their brands.

To find out more about Opal Artwork or to dig deeper on any topic from our Opal Insight series, please contact Chris Ebbs or Matt Mintman.

 Call +44 (0) 20 7014 1400 or or get in touch via our contact form.