Artwork workflow management: step-by-step implementation guide

Starting your role as a packaging manager can feel overwhelming. You’re juggling multiple SKUs, approvals, and deadlines, all while trying to keep your team aligned. One of the most critical things you can do in your first weeks is set up a scalable, repeatable artwork workflow that minimizes errors and keeps projects on track.

This guide walks you through what to do in your first 90 days, with actionable steps for each stage. We’ll also show how tools like Cway can help you centralize approvals, track versions, and streamline communication, so you spend less time chasing files and more time building a smooth process.

Packaging Manager Tutorial: How to Build Your Artwork Workflow in the First 90 Days

Days 1–30: Understand and Map Your Current Workflow

Goal: Observe, audit, and learn before making changes.

1. Identify key stakeholders

Your workflow touches multiple teams. Start by talking to:

• Marketing/Brand – Own the creative brief.

• Legal/Compliance – Review content and claims.

• Design (in-house or agency) – Create the artwork.

• R&D/Product – Provide technical specifications.

• QA or Packaging Engineering – Ensure manufacturability.

• Printers or Vendors – Receive final files and execute production.

Ask each stakeholder about the biggest frustrations, delays, or errors they encounter. These insights will help you design a workflow people actually want to follow.

2. Map the current process

Document how artwork projects currently move from idea to print. Key questions:

• Who initiates projects?

• Where are files stored, and are versions tracked?

• How are approvals handled?

• What tools are used for communication and feedback?

Most teams rely on a mix of email, shared drives, spreadsheets, and design tools. Without a central system, it’s easy to lose track of versions and approvals.

Pro tip: Import your current projects into Cway. You can visualize every stage, file, and approval in one place, quickly identifying bottlenecks and gaps.

3. Audit recent projects

Look at 3–5 recent artwork projects. Note:

• How many revisions were needed?

• Where did delays occur?

• Were any errors caught late?

This will help you spot recurring problems, like missing briefs or unclear ownership. For tips on preventing errors and improving your workflow, explore Cway’s article on 5 packaging artwork approval mistakes.

Days 31–60: Design Your Scalable Workflow

Goal: Build a system that is repeatable and can grow with your team.

1. Define workflow stages

A scalable artwork workflow typically includes:

1. Briefing – Define SKU details, deadlines, claims, and assets.

2. Design & Development – Create initial drafts and versions.

3. Internal Review – Feedback from Marketing or Product teams.

4. Compliance/Legal Review – Verify regulatory requirements.

5. Artwork Finalization – Apply final tweaks, adjust mechanicals or die-lines.

6. Printer Handoff – Deliver production-ready files.

Assign clear owners and deadlines for each stage. If everyone is responsible, nothing gets done. Using Cway, all stakeholders receive automatic notifications at each step, ensuring no stage is missed and feedback is collected promptly. This keeps the artwork approval workflow moving efficiently and helps teams stay on track.

2. Standardize templates and checklists

Templates reduce confusion and keep everyone aligned:

• Creative brief template: Includes SKU, claims, dimensions, regulatory constraints, and assets needed.

• Compliance checklist: Industry-specific checks for labeling, barcodes, or warnings.

• Reviewer matrix: Defines who approves what, and in which order.

3. Choose your tools

As you map your ideal workflow, notice where current tools fall short:

• Scattered files across email, drives, or desktops

• No version control or audit trail

• Feedback hard to track

• Compliance checks late in the process

Cway can centralize briefs, artwork, feedback, and approvals into one platform. This reduces errors, improves visibility, and saves time.

Days 61–90: Test, Refine, and Improve

Goal: Start small, validate improvements, and build confidence.

1. Run a pilot project

Pick an upcoming project, like a label refresh or a small SKU launch. Introduce one or two workflow changes:

• Use your new brief and compliance checklist

• Assign clear roles for feedback and approvals

• Track versions and comments in Cway

2. Collect feedback

As the project progresses, ask:

• Did approvals move faster?

• Were there fewer revisions?

• Did team members feel the process was clearer?

3. Iterate and scale

Share your improvements with the team, but keep adoption optional at first. Gradually:

• Introduce templates for other projects

• Use Cway analytics to monitor timelines and bottlenecks

• Continuously refine your workflow based on real data
  
  

Optimize Your Artwork Workflow for Long-Term Success

A great artwork workflow is never truly “finished.” After your first 90 days, focus on continuous improvement and optimization:

• Automate repetitive tasks to save time and reduce errors.

• Improve brief clarity to minimize back-and-forth between teams.

• Maintain a scalable system that grows with your team and SKUs.

Your biggest value as a packaging manager is designing a workflow where the right thing is the easiest thing to do. Using templates, clear workflow stages, and centralized tools reduces mistakes and keeps everyone aligned.

Tools like Cway make it simple to track performance metrics, monitor workflow efficiency, and support team adoption—so you can focus on strategy and quality, rather than firefighting day-to-day issues.

By continuously iterating and leveraging tools like Cway, your artwork workflow becomes not just functional, but scalable, repeatable, and future-proof.