With digital labeling and artwork management taking the world by storm, the concept of connected packaging is reshaping how consumers create products and how industries manage and deliver their goods. But what exactly is connected packaging, and how is it making such a positive impact?

So What is Connected Packaging?

Connected packaging refers to the integration of digital technology into product packaging, allowing consumers to interact with the packaging using their smartphones or other devices. Technologies like QR codes and NFC (Near Field Communication) tags enable this interaction, providing access to a wealth of information and services with a simple tap or scan.

Which Industries Are Benefiting the Most?

While connected packaging is making waves across various sectors, some industries are experiencing particularly transformative benefits:

- Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices: Ensuring medication authenticity and offering dosage instructions.
- Fashion and Retail: Enhancing shopping experiences with virtual try-ons and style tips.
- Consumer Electronics: Offering installation guides and troubleshooting support.
- Food and Beverage: Providing detailed nutritional information and freshness tracking.

The days of cramming information onto your packaging are over!

By scanning a QR code or tapping an NFC tag, consumers can instantly access detailed product descriptions in any language they need, meaning there are no longer language barriers when it comes to marketing products and no need to modify labels and artwork for each country. Whether it’s a medical device needing instructions for use or a food or beverage item needing an ingredients list, a QR code can provide five or fifty language variations without affecting the label or artwork. Not to mention the opportunities for traceability so that consumers can understand where their products have come from and how they were made - vital in this day and age with people valuing transparency more than ever.

This brings us on to the topic of sustainability and understanding where and how packaging was made and what materials were used. Sustainability and environmental consciousness are increasingly important to consumers and manufacturers alike. Connected packaging is playing a vital role in promoting proper recycling practices by providing consumers with detailed, easy-to-access information. Here’s how connected packaging is making a difference:

Clear Recycling Instructions:

Material Identification: Connected packaging can help consumers identify the different materials used in the product and its packaging. For example, a product might have components made of plastic, glass, or metal, each requiring different recycling methods.

Step-by-Step Guides: Scanning a QR code or tapping an NFC tag can lead to step-by-step guides on how to recycle each component. This might include instructions on how to separate parts, clean them if necessary, and where to dispose of them.

Localized Recycling Information:

Custom Recycling Guidelines: Different regions have different recycling rules and facilities. Connected packaging can provide localized recycling information based on the consumer's location, ensuring that the instructions are relevant and accurate.

Recycling Centers and Drop-off Points: Consumers can be directed to nearby recycling centers or drop-off points, making it easier for them to recycle correctly.

Educational Content:

Environmental Impact Education: Brands can use connected packaging to educate consumers about the environmental impact of recycling and the benefits of proper disposal. This can include data on how much energy is saved by recycling, how recycling reduces landfill waste, and how it conserves natural resources.

Interactive Content: Interactive elements such as videos, animations, or quizzes can make learning about recycling more engaging and memorable for consumers.

Encouraging Responsible Disposal:

Incentives and Rewards: Some brands use connected packaging to offer incentives for recycling, such as discounts on future purchases, loyalty points, or donations to environmental causes. By rewarding responsible behavior, brands can motivate consumers to recycle more consistently.

Social Sharing: Consumers can be encouraged to share their recycling efforts on social media, using hashtags or participating in brand-led campaigns. This not only promotes recycling but also builds a community of environmentally conscious consumers.

Tracking and Reporting:

Recycling Data Collection: Brands can collect data on how often consumers access recycling information and how they engage with it. This data can help companies understand the effectiveness of their recycling initiatives and make improvements.

Transparency Reports: By providing transparency reports through connected packaging, brands can show consumers the real impact of their recycling efforts, such as the amount of material recycled or the reduction in carbon footprint.

Example Scenario

A consumer buys a bottle of water with a QR code on the label. By scanning the code with their smartphone, they access detailed instructions on how to recycle the bottle. The instructions include steps to rinse the bottle, remove the cap, and place the bottle and cap in different recycling bins.

The consumer is directed to a nearby recycling center and given the option to join a rewards program that offers discounts for every bottle recycled. The brand provides educational content on the importance of recycling plastic and how it helps reduce environmental pollution. The consumer can track their recycling efforts and see the positive impact they are making through the brand's transparency report.

Get Ahead of the Connected Packaging Revolution

The connected packaging revolution is transforming industries by making product information more accessible, improving supply chain transparency, and promoting sustainable practices. By integrating digital technology into packaging, brands can create richer, more engaging experiences for consumers while addressing critical issues like authenticity, transparency, and environmental impact. As this technology continues to evolve, we can expect even more innovative applications that will further enhance the way we interact with products and brands.

Kallik’s cloud-based, end-to-end innovative labeling and artwork platform, Veraciti™, is well equipped to help customers implement connected packaging, ensuring seamless integration of digital technologies and enhancing overall brand engagement and compliance. Our software can be used to generate and print QR codes with ease, enabling organizations to get ahead and take advantage of the connected packaging revolution.

Want to Know More?

Why not speak to one of our labeling and artwork experts to learn more about how Veraciti™ can help your business to transform its product packaging process with the very best labeling and artwork management? Get in touch today at enquiries@kallik.com or call +44 (0) 1827 318100.

When it comes to mergers and acquisitions, enterprise organizations face a myriad of challenges when integrating new products into their portfolios. From streamlining product integration to ensuring regulatory compliance and managing complex audit processes, the task can seem daunting. However, with the right tools and strategies in place, organizations can navigate mergers with ease, ensuring a seamless transition and unlocking new opportunities for growth. Enter Veraciti, a trusted partner in label management solutions, dedicated to simplifying the complexities of mergers and acquisitions for enterprise organizations. That’s where our end-to-end enterprise labeling and artwork software, Veraciti, can help.

Streamlining Product Integration:

One of the biggest challenges in mergers and acquisitions is integrating new products into existing portfolios seamlessly. Veraciti offers a comprehensive suite of tools and features designed to streamline this process. From automated artwork generation to centralized label management, Veraciti enables organizations to bring 100 new products on board with ease, minimizing disruptions and maximizing efficiency.

Rapid Name Changes:

Veraciti makes it quick and easy to change company names, brand names and company ownership of brands,thanks to our Automated Artwork Generation (AAG) tool and label templates. Gone are the days of hiring a team to spend months manually changing labels and artwork if your company undergoes a re-brand or merger, instead you can execute name changes in as little as 10 seconds with Veraciti. AAG ensures accuracy by maintaining one single, company and/or brand name, approved address and logo, automatically updating hundreds of labels in minutes.

Streamlined Logo Management:

Veraciti simplifies logo management by vectorizing logos, regardless of their size variations. With only one copy of each asset, resizing logos becomes effortless without compromising quality. This centralized approach also makes logo management easier and more efficient.

Automated Inspection:

Veraciti significantly reduces the need for manual inspection by utilizing automation to increase accuracy. Unlike other platforms where each label must be opened individually for inspection, Veraciti allows for sample checks, saving time and resources while maintaining precision.

With Veraciti, companies can navigate all of the usual complexities that come with mergers and acquisitions with ease, ensuring swift and accurate updates across all products and labels.

Ensuring Regulatory Compliance:

With regulatory requirements becoming increasingly stringent, ensuring compliance across a diverse range of products is paramount. Veraciti's robust compliance management capabilities help organizations navigate regulatory complexities with confidence. By providing real-time insights into labeling requirements and facilitating bulk changes seamlessly, Veraciti ensures that organizations remain compliant with industry standards throughout the merger process.

Scalability Made Easy:

One of the key benefits of partnering with Veraciti is scalability. As organizations undergo mergers and acquisitions, the need for scalable solutions becomes more pronounced. Veraciti's cloud-based deployment ensures that organizations can scale their label management capabilities effortlessly, accommodating new products and expanding operations with ease.

Case Study: Aspen's Success Story:

A 20-year-old major surgical device manufacturer comprised of 18 acquisitions, recently turned to Veraciti to standardize label printing across all factories. During Veraciti's implementation, Aspen brought on two more companies, seamlessly integrating them into the original project with no time overrun. Thanks to Veraciti's cloud deployment, the enterprise was able to add new companies with ease, demonstrating the scalability and efficiency of Veraciti's solutions.

So there you have it - navigating mergers and acquisitions doesn't have to be a daunting task. With Veraciti's comprehensive suite of label management solutions, organizations can streamline product integration, ensure regulatory compliance, manage audit and approval processes, and scale their operations with ease. By partnering with Veraciti, enterprise organizations can navigate mergers with confidence, unlocking new opportunities for growth and success.

Want to know more about how Kallik can help you? Download our free guide on labeling and artwork trends in 2024 to get started on transforming your cosmetic labeling and artwork management. Speak to one of our labeling and artwork experts for more information by emailing enquiries@kallik.com, calling +44 1827 318100 or filling in the form here.

In today's fast-paced business landscape, the ability to adapt and evolve is not just a competitive advantage; it's a necessity. With consumer preferences shifting, regulatory requirements evolving, and market dynamics changing rapidly, organizations must be agile in responding to these challenges. Nowhere is this need for speed more evident than in the realm of label management, where updating thousands of product labels swiftly can make all the difference between staying ahead or falling behind.

Everyone’s favorite hot topic: Artificial intelligence

The traditional approach to label management, with its manual processes and cumbersome workflows, is no longer sufficient in meeting the demands of the modern business environment. Thankfully, the emergence of AI and automation has ushered in a new era of efficiency and productivity. Veraciti, a leading provider of label management solutions, has been at the forefront of this transformation, featuring automation and investing in AI to aid and streamline label and artwork management processes.

Kallik’s Assisted Tool of Migration (AToM), the first of its kind in the labeling and artwork industry, leverages the power of AI to streamline the entire label and data migration process, from a variety of content sources, reducing manual effort and potential for errors. It works by extracting content labels or artworks in any format and generating intelligent templates with regulatory and brand logic included as standard. Further to this, AToM is also incredibly intelligent when it comes to identifying aspects of your content that may lead to errors and issues further down the line.

Let’s talk automation: Automated Artwork Generation

Another of Veraciti's flagship offerings is its Automated Artwork Generation (AAG) function. AAG dynamically assembles the chosen pre-approved content. By using intelligent pre-approved templates to automatically generate the artwork or label, the need for human input is removed, reducing the risk of errors as well as rapidly decreasing project completion times. Labels or artworks are created within seconds rather than days or weeks. This revolutionary technology not only accelerates the label design process but also ensures consistency and accuracy across all product labels - which is a huge improvement compared to traditional methods.

Speed without compromising on compliance with the ‘Where Used’ function

But speed alone is not enough; organizations must also ensure compliance and consistency in their label management processes. The ‘Where Used’ function is a key feature in helping to maintain compliance while also increasing speed-to-market. It has the ability to identify specific components and recognize every artwork or label where they have been used previously. With ever-changing regulations, this makes the process of making bulk changes to icons, images and phrases seamless, both facilitating and accelerating the process of achieving regulatory compliance. Whether it's updating warnings to meet FDA labeling requirements or incorporating new branding elements, the 'Where Used' function ensures that every change is implemented efficiently and accurately.

Change 10,000 product labels in just 14 days rather than six months

In a world where every second counts, efficiency is paramount. One Kallik customer using Veraciti updated 10,000 product labels in 14 days gain a significant competitive advantage, allowing them to respond swiftly to market demands and stay ahead of the curve. With Veraciti's AI-powered solutions and innovative features like AAG and 'Where Used,' organizations can unlock new levels of efficiency and productivity, enabling them to thrive in today's fast-paced business environment.

Want to know more about how Kallik can help you? Whether you’re in the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, medical device, chemical, or even the cosmetic industry, our experts are ready to help you transform your labeling and artwork management with the help of our innovative software, leading the way in the labeling and artwork software space. Get in touch today to see what we can do for you at enquiries@kallik.com or call +44 (0) 1827 318100.

As Brexit unfolded, the packaging and labelling industry experienced a seismic shift in regulations. Manufacturers and distributors scrambled to adapt to new requirements governing product packaging, labelling, and artwork. In this blog, we explore the ways Brexit has impacted the industry so far and look at how businesses are still adapting today. We also look at how you can prepare your business for future regulation changes to ensure you’re staying compliant and ahead of the curve.

Brexit's Impact on Packaging and labelling:

Brexit brought about significant changes in regulations governing product packaging and labelling in the UK. With the UK's departure from the EU, businesses faced a slew of challenges and uncertainty, including navigating customs checks, tariffs, and country-of-origin labelling requirements.

Even now, there is uncertainty surrounding the UKCA and the latest Windsor Framework Regulations which will see the introduction of a ‘UK Only’ label for pharmaceuticals but not medical devices that contain pharmaceutical products like an inhaler. Moreover, the need to comply with UK-specific regulations alongside existing EU standards added complexity to an already intricate regulatory landscape.

Changes in Regulation: With the UK leaving the EU, there have been changes in regulations governing product packaging and labelling. UK-specific regulations now apply, and businesses must ensure compliance with both UK and EU regulations if they are trading in both markets.

Customs and Tariffs: Brexit has introduced customs checks and tariffs for goods moving between the UK and the EU. This has implications for product packaging as businesses may need to include additional information for customs purposes.

Country of Origin labelling: Products manufactured in the UK now require clear labelling to indicate their country of origin. This is important for both domestic and international trade, as it impacts tariffs and trade agreements.

Product Standards and Certification: UK businesses exporting to the EU must comply with EU product standards and certification requirements. This may necessitate changes to packaging and labelling to ensure that products meet EU regulations.

Changes in Import/Export Documentation: Brexit has introduced new documentation requirements for importing and exporting goods between the UK and the EU. This includes changes to paperwork such as customs declarations, which may need to be reflected on product packaging.

Health and Safety Regulations: The UK has the authority to set its own health and safety regulations post-Brexit. This may result in changes to labelling requirements to ensure compliance with UK-specific regulations.

Language Requirements: Products sold in the UK may no longer be required to have labelling in multiple languages as mandated by EU regulations. However, businesses exporting to the EU will still need to comply with EU language requirements.

Packaging Waste Regulations: The UK has its own packaging waste regulations separate from those of the EU. Businesses may need to adjust packaging designs to comply with UK-specific waste management regulations.

Product Marking: The UK has introduced a new UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) marking to replace the CE marking for certain products sold in Great Britain. This change may require updates to product packaging and labelling to reflect the new marking.

Data Protection and Privacy: Changes in data protection laws post-Brexit may require adjustments to packaging and labelling to ensure compliance with UK data protection regulations, especially regarding the handling of personal data.

These changes are only some of the key areas where Brexit has impacted the labelling, and artwork of products sold and manufactured in the UK and there are still new regulations emerging even now in 2024. For example, the new Windsor Framework Regulations on the requirement to mark products as ‘UK Only’ will commence in January 2025. As a result, it is crucial for businesses operating in the UK market to stay informed about evolving regulations and to be prepared for further changes. If there is one thing that Brexit and its aftereffects has taught us, it’s to be prepared with a system that can handle mass changes with ease.

Adapting to Regulatory Changes with Veraciti™:

Now let’s talk about how to prepare your business for any future regulatory changes that may be on the horizon and could cost your organization a lot of time and money.

Bob Tilling, Kallik’s VP of Global Sales, explains how Veraciti™ can take the stress out of mass labelling and artwork changes. “Amidst the chaos, Veraciti™ has proven to be a reliable partner for businesses seeking to navigate the evolving regulatory environment post-Brexit. Leveraging its cutting-edge technology and expertise, Veraciti™ offers a comprehensive solution to ensure compliance and mitigate risks associated with regulatory changes.”

“Through features like 'Where Used' and Automated Artwork Generation, Veraciti™ empowers companies to make mass changes efficiently while ensuring compliance and accuracy. Additionally, Veraciti™'s label templates and Cascade feature significantly reduce errors and streamline the approval process, ultimately enhancing speed-to-market and reducing costs. With real-time updates, seamless integration supported by AI and 24/7 support from our experts on the Kallik Service Desk, you can navigate regulation changes with complete confidence thanks to Veraciti™.” Bob explains.

Brexit has undoubtedly reshaped the regulatory landscape for the packaging and labelling industry in the UK. However, with the right partner by their side, businesses can navigate these changes with confidence and ease. Veraciti™'s adaptable solutions empower businesses to stay compliant, meet deadlines, and thrive in a post-Brexit world.

Are you struggling to navigate the complexities of post-Brexit regulations? Download our FREE guide on navigating the new Windsor Framework regulations to stay ahead of the curve. Speak to one of our labelling and artwork experts to learn more about how Veraciti™ can help your business thrive in a rapidly changing regulatory environment. Get in touch today at enquiries@kallik.com or call +44 (0) 1827 318100.
 

With operations spanning across different time zones and locations, global businesses require assistance that transcends geographical boundaries and operates around the clock. This is where cloud-based software really shines. With a remote 24/7 service desk that can instantly be accessed anywhere across the world at any time, keeping your business running like clockwork has never been easier thanks to the cloud.
 

Let's look at the pros of the globally accessible, around-the-clock support available through cloud software and how it can transform the way businesses operate.
 

Benefits of Using Cloud-Based Software service desk:

Standardized support: Cloud-based support systems ensure a standardized service by ensuring that all users worldwide are consistently operating on the same version of the system. This uniformity simplifies the support process, as there's only one common product and method of operation to address. With cloud software, updates are automatically applied to all users, eliminating the challenges of assisting customers on different versions. This standardization streamlines support efforts, making it easier to provide efficient assistance to users across the globe.

Resolving Critical Issues Off-Hours: Emergencies don't adhere to traditional office hours. Around-the-clock support ensures that businesses can address critical issues promptly, even during weekends or holidays, minimizing downtime and potential losses.

Supporting International Clients: With a global clientele, businesses need support services that align with their diverse operational hours. Accessible support enables seamless communication and assistance for clients worldwide, fostering strong relationships and trust. There’s no need for various service desk teams dotted around the world, with one harmonious team based in the same location offering support to clients thousands of miles away. No matter where you’re based or where your provider is based, you get the same fantastic service.

 

Veraciti's 24/7 Global Support:

At Kallik, we understand the importance of providing uninterrupted support to our clients. Our global service desk is available 24/7 through various channels, including phone, website, email, and live chat. We've streamlined the process of seeking assistance through an easy-to-navigate form, allowing you to convey the impact on your production, thereby prioritizing critical issues efficiently. Whether you're in London or Los Angeles, Sydney or Singapore, our dedicated professionals are available around the clock to assist you. With our global reach, you can access support whenever you need it, regardless of time zone differences.
 

Multiple Channels for Convenience

We understand that every customer has their preferred mode of communication. That's why we offer multiple channels to reach our service desk, including phone, website, email, and live chat. Whether you're on the go or in the office, getting in touch with us is effortless and convenient.
 

Streamlined Ticketing Process

Our streamlined ticketing process ensures that your issue is addressed promptly and efficiently. With an easy-to-navigate form, you can provide us with all the necessary details upfront, including the impact on your production. This helps us prioritize your ticket appropriately and expedite the resolution process.
 

Transparent Communication

Once you've created a ticket, our system ensures transparent communication and efficient resolution. You'll receive an email acknowledging the creation of the ticket along with a unique ticket number. With our easy-to-use Kallik Service Desk portal, you can track the progress of your ticket, ensuring visibility and accountability.
 

Proactive Engagement

Our service desk team doesn't wait for you to reach out—we're proactive in our approach to resolving issues. We'll provide regular updates via email, informing you of any actions taken on your ticket. If further information is required, we'll reach out promptly, ensuring a swift resolution to your issue.
 

Empowering Self-Service

Through the Kallik portal, you have the power to manage your support cases with ease. You can filter your cases, add comments, and track the status of your tickets—all from one centralized platform. Our goal is to empower you with the tools and resources you need to resolve issues independently whenever possible.
 

Worried About Not Having a Local Service Desk?

Some organizations may have concerns about receiving support from a team located remotely. However, our global service desk team is equipped with the expertise and tools necessary to provide exceptional assistance, regardless of geographical proximity. With prompt responses, personalized attention, and a commitment to customer satisfaction, our service desk team ensures that distance is never a barrier to quality service. 
 

The Stats Speak for Themselves:

In February 2024 alone, the Kallik Service Desk team achieved fantastic SLA (service level agreement) compliance rates. With 100% response and resolution rate for severity 1 incidents, closely followed by 100% for response and 95.65% for resolution for severity 2 incidents.. What’s more, the team’s average response time ranged from just 11.5 to 14 minutes depending on the severity of the incident. Internal quality checks on the team’s ticket management resulted in an average compliance score of 93%.

Despite serving Veraciti users scattered across the globe, he geographical distance between our Service Desk and our customers posed no issue, as our team efficiently resolved incidents and provided top-tier support with ease.
 

Benefits of 24/7 Support:

Having service desk that offers 24/7 support brings many benefits, including:

• Increased operational efficiency
• Minimized downtime and disruptions
• Enhanced customer satisfaction and loyalty
• Improved productivity and business continuity

In conclusion, choosing a cloud-based platform like Veraciti that offers 24/7 global service desk support means unparalleled accessibility, convenience, and efficiency. With multiple channels for communication, a streamlined ticketing process, transparent communication, proactive engagement, and empowering self-service options, we're committed to delivering exceptional support experiences to our customers worldwide. So, if you’re looking to move to a cloud-based platform but you’re worried about the level of support you might receive, rest assured that fantastic service is far easier to achieve with the cloud, no matter where you are in the world.

Want to know more?

Whether you’re in the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, medical device, chemical, or even the cosmetic industry, our experts are ready to help you transform your labeling and artwork management with the help of our innovative software, leading the way in the labeling and artwork software space. Get in touch today to see what we can do for you at enquiries@kallik.com or call +44 (0) 1827 318100.

In this guest blog, a key Kallik partner at professional services firm Kalypso shares their perspective on the importance of integration in the modern enterprise.

Why does integration matter?
 

If you don’t do integration right, you are failing to truly maximise the investment you have made in enterprise software, in the sense of leaving too big a gap between two very important business functions. Let’s back up a little so I can show you the basis of my understanding a little better. 

Kalypso is an Ohio-based consulting firm focused on helping clients to improve productivity and boost innovation. To that end, we’ve found the Kallik system a highly useful tool in our armoury, especially in the packaged goods sector. 

This is because packaging integrity and brand identity are becoming more and more important in this market, for all sorts of reasons – compliance being very important, of course, but many of these companies’ leadership see the need for integration between all the elements in their systems. And a lot of the time, we encounter two sorts of enterprise IT systems in those customer environments: the central corporate platforms, the Oracles and the SAPs, the classic Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) suites at one end of the scale and at the other, the PLM, the Product Lifecycle Management applications, which can sometimes be from the same suppliers. 

Generally speaking, the first set of systems is there to take care of the overall business – to process orders, handle the finance side, and so on. At the other end of that spectrum, we have the smaller PLM solutions, whose main job is to manage the integration of product design. This is a very typical snapshot of a lot of the consumer goods as well as regulated industries, I think you’ll agree.

Where does integration come in? It comes in when you want to marry the two sides up – when you want to connect the data that is in the ERP system with what you have in the PLM system so as to have a properly unified single source of truth for all your product information. It is probably worth saying at this point that the tool we use to help bridge the gap between the ERP and the PLM sides of the business - by working with our PLM assets on artwork and labelling content which is then integrated to ERP - is, the Kallik Veraciti™ Labeling and Artwork Platform, which we are happy to see is fully compatible with the leading products in both sectors.

A new systematic way of working
 

But there are challenges on the way to achieving that desired integration – a lot of them. We can start with the human one. A lot of teams outside the IT side of a business can often end up resisting what they feel are ‘monolithic’ attempts to unify all their data and workflows: you find quite typically that the IT department want everything in SAP, which can be difficult for some people in the business given the complexity of that very rich system. 

That’s sometimes compounded, in our experience, by the artwork side of the house not being too keen on being expected to work with PLM-style systems, either. Sometimes, you find the artwork team is just not really that convinced of the value of working in a systematised way, be that with ERP or PLM. The next level up in terms of integration challenges is the technical aspect of the integration (between ERP, PLM and artwork and labelling). 

To make that work, you have to be very sensitive to the architecture underpinning the proposed joined-up system you want to see emerge here. The key here is the old adage of KISS – it really does pay to Keep It Simple (Stupid). In the past, the technical elements of an integration project might be much more nuts and bolts, to do with making two non-standard or niche systems talk together. That’s less of an issue now, as so many organisations have standardised on SAPs and Oracles, for both ERP and PLM, as well as SQL RDBMS. So the main face of integration now is that overall architecture side, we are finding. Beyond human/cultural issues and possibly technical/compatibility hassles, what other challenges are there to effective integration around the packaging and labelling process? We find the final one to often be around business process integration. How does a business process around packaging, artwork and labelling management need to be adapted for seamless integration of data to take off?

The human factor (redux)
 

To some extent, this hearkens back to the people issue I mentioned, but at a level of greater complexity. There are often big changes here in the work styles and daily activities of team members that need to be carefully thought through and sensitively handled; get this stage wrong and your whole effort may end up going nowhere, frankly. Make sure you build in time for people to get used to new ways of working with artwork and labelling post the introduction of an integrated process via Kallik, is my advice. And we all may have to. 

In the past 20 years or so we here at Kalypso have seen more and more parts of our customers having to get to grips with integration, which is now touching more and more highly creative people who haven’t been asked to deal with this sort of technology before. We need to help them get used to this and get comfortable first if we want to get the main benefits of integration here: better throughput and efficiency. No pain, no (lots of) gain? It’s easy to lose sight of why we’d want to put in efforts around integration. 

The truth of the matter is that there is a huge value to be gained, despite these challenges. I always point to the Kalypso customer that implemented integration via Kallik and realised a 40% improvement in turnaround due to saved time and errors as the proof point as to why we want to do this. And if we can not just produce accurate artwork assets quicker but re-use those assets throughout the enterprise, then that’s also promoting efficiency as we are clearly not re-inventing any wheels any more.

My final comment, then, is that for any sort of company that has a lot of investment in packaging and labelling, that needs to get them right or done better, integration – for all the organisational, and, to a lesser extent these days, technical challenges it creates, it really does have to be the face of the future. I wish you good luck with all your integration efforts!

Want to know more? 

Whether you’re in the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, medical device, chemical, or even the cosmetic industry, our experts are ready to help you transform your labeling and artwork management with the help of our innovative software, leading the way in the labeling and artwork software space. Get in touch today to see what we can do for you at enquiries@kallik.com or call +44 (0) 1827 318100.

Ask practitioners in the cosmetics sector what they think are the drivers of change in their industry and the answer comes back pretty quickly: consumer demand for complete sourcing clarity. I recently caught up with a prominent executive from the cosmetics sector to find out more.

Today, consumers — especially Gen Z ones — are more conscious than ever about the effect of what they buy or consume on the environment. As a result, they have high expectations about the brands they buy from around transparency of ingredients and guidance on how best to safely recycle what they’ve just purchased.

This is nowhere more true in the cosmetics world, where concerns about potentially harmful ingredients or allergens and ethical concerns around the supply chain are a priority for buyers. Consumers now pay closer attention to the information provided by cosmetics brands across their labeling, from physical packaging to online resources. Indeed, being clear about these aspects is even starting to be seen as a differentiator; a 2019 survey by NPD Group found that skincare brands pledging ingredient transparency are gaining new traction in the market, over half of American women consciously now seek out skincare products that have organic ingredients, while 46% say they will only now pick products without sulfates, phthalates and gluten, a six-point increase from 2017.

Dealing with Multiple Market Contexts

Clearly, the public is paying very close attention to product information, and know what’s in products and how ‘natural’ they are — research which often starts online. It’s a trend that regulators are supporting too: they are putting more and more pressure on brands to ensure they provide complete, accurate and up-to-date information on all of their products, and that they make no unauthorized or false claims about them.

This ends a long period of self-regulation, and authorities have signalled they are going to be more proactive in keeping consumers safe. The challenge for international cosmetics leaders, is that this changes decades of practice, especially around labeling. There’s a big push now to keep it consistent, transparent, consumer-friendly and on message, which can be tricky if each market has its own special regulatory requirements, different cultural reference points and ways of wording safety messages.

So ensuring that each product carries exactly the right label content for the intended market and target consumer group is the mission now, from eye liner to sunscreen. Unless the cosmetics company has a clear line of sight across both evolving market requirements per country and how these affect each product and its different forms of labeling/customer information, however, the risk of wrong or out-of-date information getting through could be significant. Risks to consumer safety, reputational damage, potential fines and loss of revenue if products are rejected or withdrawn from affected markets all need to be avoided...

But labeling encompasses a lot! It’s everything stated on the product itself, which could be designed or embossed directly onto a bottle to promotional inserts in magazines and product information published online. This adds up to a lot of collateral to coordinate and control for accuracy, currency, quality and compliance. But if these different elements are handled by different teams, or wheels have to be reinvented time and again, the demand on resources but also the danger of something going wrong are considerable.

Centralized Quality Control

To alleviate spiraling workloads, mitigate risk and keep pace with evolving requirements without compromising label quality, cosmetics brands should consider introducing some form of central control and visibility across everything that is going out to the market, anywhere in the world. This means creating a single source of labeling truth that acts as the foundation for all forms of future labeling, so if anything changes — to you as a company, to the product or its ingredients, or to regulatory requirements — this can be managed in a controlled and robust way from a single, central vantage point.

Hence the useful approach of centralizing and organizing the construction and quality control of global labeling. When introduced correctly, this can also help transform the processes involved, for instance in discovering label inter-dependencies if requirements or other conditions change, as all global label activity is mapped and tracked. And great shortcuts like ‘phrase managers’ for different languages can reduce the translation burden too, by eliminating repetition of routine tasks such as the construction of common directions for use in each target language/country.

Offering What The Ethical Consumer Is Demanding

In cosmetics, the ability to treat each labeling item as a composite of pre-approved text or artwork components eliminates unnecessary process duplication, leaving your skilled professionals free to focus more of their time on the elements that do need to change. As well as substantially reducing the safety implications, cost and reputational damage associated with product recalls, doing your product labeling will help to safeguard the brand and maintain public confidence in the quality and safety of its products — as we’ve seen, increasingly an operational necessity in our highly competitive, global market.

Want to know more?

Whether you’re in the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, medical device, chemical, or cosmetic industry, our experts are ready to help you transform your labeling and artwork management with the help of our innovative software, leading the way in the labeling and artwork software space. Get in touch today to see what we can do for you at enquiries@kallik.com or call +44 (0) 1827 318100.

The ongoing COVID-19 outbreak has impacted not just developments and processes in the cosmetics industry but most importantly, the global economy, in various ways. Most notably, it has influenced consumers’ purchase decisions and spending habits.

A recent Mintel research report shows that coronavirus will also affect clean beauty ingredients, labeling, formulation, packaging, and shelf-stability for years to come. Other sectors that have been in constant change are beauty retail, order fulfillment, and manufacturing.

Clean beauty and sustainable innovation

Prior to the pandemic, natural consumers avoided preservatives and artificial ingredients in BPC products, however, with new concerns regarding shelf-stability and sanitation across consumer-packaged-goods (CPG) categories, consumers are already more willing to accept these ingredients. As long as the labels provide evidence of efficacy and safety, both from a health and environmental perspective, consumers will focus less on preservatives and artificial ingredients. (GCIMagazine.com, 2020).

Packaging in a ‘new era of transparency’

Consumers, even during this pandemic, are not only looking for clean beauty, but for recycled and sustainable packaging that has a minimum environmental impact. Current regulations and technical constraints make incorporating recycled materials into the many types of plastic packaging the cosmetics industry uses, a challenge nearly impossible to meet.

Why is it so hard? All cosmetics products manufactured and supplied in the UK and across the EU are governed by the Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No.1223/2009 and its amendments.

The guidance document acknowledges that although there are ‘’no specific regulations governing the inclusion of recycled content in cosmetics products’’, packaging purity and stability have to exist to ensure the safety of final products. With the novel coronavirus invading and changing the normality we are all used to, just last month,  the European Commission adopted its latest Circular Economy Action Plan for Europe, which sits at the core of a wider European Deal published late last year.

Christine Lawson, sustainability and technical affairs manager at CTPA, said that the guidance is also important for how labeling and artwork should now be better incorporated in the packaging process in order to produce a ‘’fast-moving and incredibly innovative’’ cosmetics and personal sector.

‘’It will inform and help companies build-in decisions from the early stages of product development to create the most sustainable ways of presenting products with minimum environmental impact and enhancing circularity of resources,’’ Lawson said.

Product formulation and labeling changes

We see changes in the way consumers now understand the notion of natural, bio, and organic from their trusted products’ labels. They will further push the idea that natural isn’t always better, especially when it comes to ingredient safety and shelf life. From an ingredients perspective, the pandemic has enabled the creation of formulas that will rely on safe synthetic ingredients, which could potentially improve shelf life.

Mintel analyst, Clare Henningan, discusses the importance of keeping pace with the evolving requirements of post-COVID-19 labeling quality and processes without compromising brand integrity and visibility. The time is now for brands to consider introducing a better-developed form of central control and transparency across everything that is going out to the market globally.

In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, one of the major opportunities that cosmetic brands will have to focus on is waterless formulas, which could appeal to consumers’ safety and environmental concerns. But formula changes will result in cosmetics businesses undertaking what could be a monolithic re-labeling project. In a time where efficiency and cost optimization is key to survival, cosmetic businesses would be advised to take on these sorts of changes by first creating a single source of labeling truth – of approved, current content components, which form the basis for all forms of future labeling. If anything changes to the brand, the product or its ingredients, to the manufacturer’s information, or to regulatory requirements, this should be managed in a controlled and robust way from a single to a central vantage point.

Opportunities for accelerated & automated label construction

We will all need products that mitigate risks of contamination by utilizing touchless formats and offering extended shelf life, making them stand out as safe and dependable. Brands that can demonstrate dependability, transparency, and willingness to take action to ensure product safety will be able to survive the already existing tough competition and the economic uncertainty and consumer shifts caused by this virus.

Having an enterprise labeling management solution isn’t just about centralizing the construction and improving the quality of control applied to global labeling. It can also help transform the process involved in changing brand standards, adding additional transparency, and making necessary product improvements. This is especially important during these challenging times, as consumers become more concerned with safety implications and ingredients visibility.

With coordinated control and end-to-end visibility of all labeling activity globally, brand owners are better able to spot any labeling and artwork issues ahead of time and apply changes quickly and efficiently. With time being such a critical factor during the current pandemic, trusted labeling will help to safeguard the brand and maintain public confidence in the quality and safety of products produced.

Unfortunately, COVID-19 data has already shown us that there will be winners and losers that surface in the onslaught of all this uncertainty.  Cosmetics businesses are already threatened by changing buyer behavior, with consumers focusing less on unessential beauty purchases and more on hygiene and personal safety.

The cosmetics businesses that can rapidly adjust to new consumer expectations while increasing transparency and safety of their products will come out on top. A dedicated, intelligent control around label construction will enable cosmetic businesses to increase efficiencies, improve visibility, and reduce regulatory errors for better brand control that align with new consumer expectations.

Want to know more?

Whether you’re in the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, medical device, chemical, or even the cosmetic industry, our experts are ready to help you transform your labeling and artwork management with the help of our innovative software, leading the way in the labeling and artwork software space. Get in touch today to see what we can do for you at enquiries@kallik.com or call +44 (0) 1827 318100.