Speed to market is vital in maintaining competitiveness in modern day markets. Packaging approval processes are often an overlooked element of product launches, yet they can cause critical bottlenecks that have the power to derail even the most orchestrated of launches.

As a result, many brands miss out on retail opportunities and incur high costs, leading to internal inefficiencies.

In this blog, we will discuss some of the common delays in packaging approval processes. We’ll also introduce you to tools, including our asset management system, that will enable faster approvals without compromising quality or compliance.

What is involved in packaging approval processes?

Packaging projects go through a complex workflow involving multiple stakeholders including brand teams, legal, marketing, procurement and printers. The extensive approval process ensures that your final design meets all stakeholder requirements.

Approval processes can vary, but typically they begin at conceptualisation and design to define objectives through brand identity and market research.

Prototypes and mock-ups are then typically developed for the testing phase.

Pre-production reviews, including reviewing artworks, material testing and regulatory compliance checks, are a vital step in the process to prevent errors and avoid print surprises.

Collaborative, digital workflows encourage all stakeholders to feedback and sign-off on packaging prior to launch, where final printing and quality checks are carried out.

With so many stakeholders to consider, the risk of delays multiplies quickly.

Common causes for delays in packaging approval processes

1. Lack of centralised asset storage

Without secure, digital storage locations for packaging assets, inefficiencies can appear. Teams must rely on email attachments, shared drives, and perhaps multiple platforms for reviews and feedback. This will lead to version control issues, lost feedback and the potential for duplicates.

2. Inefficient review processes

Review cycles often rely on PDFs, emails, and often physical printouts to check colour. For the majority, they are excessive, inefficient, and lead to tiresome back-and-forth reworks. When there’s a lot of different stakeholders, the likelihood of minor amendments and feedback increases, which is time consuming and can delay launch and marketing schedules.

3. Disconnected stakeholders

To really nail your product launch, you need to involve the right stakeholders, which often includes people from multiple departments – marketing, legal, design. Miscommunication can happen very easily in packaging approval processes, particularly when goals and objectives are not well defined or departments have conflicting priorities.

4. Legal complexities

Each country has their own unique packaging standards which are required for products to enter the market. Some of these include packaging materials, waste management and labelling requirements which can vary significantly. Legal and regulatory compliance is a significant, albeit monotonous, process in the packaging approval process, and manual tracking can increase error and approval time.

5. Visibility and accountability

Without clear ownership and tracking, approval processes can stall. It can become unclear who needs to act next, how long something has been waiting for review, and what’s holding up the process. Having transparency into project status is key to avoiding delays.

Consequences of approval delays

You may think that a few extra days here and there in packaging approvals is manageable. But is it sustainable in the long term?

Hidden inefficiencies add up to a significant, and costly, impacts.

1. Missed retail opportunities

Most major retailers and e-commerce platforms operate on strict timelines. Missing a product launch window, even by a few days, can mean losing valuable shelf space, promotional support, and optimum product placement during seasonal campaigns.

2. Increased production costs

Delays in packaging approval processes often push back production schedules. Printing may need to be re-produced, and time and materials can be wasted.

3. Internal inefficiencies

Every delay costs your team – chasing down approvals, reviewing assets, revising files. This can drain focus and resources from other projects, leading to more delays.

4. Consumer trust

Packaging errors that slip through due to rushed approval processes can damage your brand reputation and result in recalls or regulatory penalties. With every packaging decision, your brand identity and consumer trust are on the line.

Springfield Solutions’ Asset Management Tool

Flawless reproduction of packaging artwork at every stage.

Our asset management tool covers the packaging process from design to print. Our in-house brand management team works as an extension of your team to optimise digital approvals and progress tracking – meaning you stay up to date without wasting valuable time and resources, and we ensure quality and brand integrity isn’t compromised.

By optimising the packaging approval process and collaborating with an experienced brand management team, you can shorten your time to market and navigate regulatory compliances with ease.

Expect:

• Fast turnaround times when changes are urgent.
• Fully digital workflows for complete asset visibility.
• Streamlined collaboration between internal and external stakeholders.
• Reduced internal workload for design, marketing and compliance teams.

Time to market is more than just an efficiency goal, it’s a strategic differentiator.

Read more about how our customer, SBC Skincare utilise our asset management service to keep their packaging artworks under control.

By partnering with Springfield Solutions, you can manage your packaging with confidence with a modern, efficient solution. Eliminate bottlenecks and speed up your time to market without compromising on quality or compliance.

Ready to outsource your asset management to an experienced team? Let’s talk!