Inside the life of a packaging artwork coordinator

When Tilda Eriksson begins her morning, there is no easing into the day. Her project dashboard loads with 60–80 active packaging artwork projects, each at a different stage, each with its own team of approvers, each tied to deadlines that simply cannot slip.

For anyone outside the world of FMCG packaging, this pace might seem unreal.
For Tilda, it’s just another Tuesday.

As a Production Manager supporting major Nordic food and consumer brands, she handles thousands of artworks every year—everything from redesigns to urgent regulatory updates caused by changing legislation or ingredients. And every detail must be correct and compliant before it reaches a retailer’s shelf.

But the challenge was never just the work.
It was the workflow holding it all together.

The Hidden Bottlenecks No One Talks About

Before adopting Cway, Tilda’s biggest bottleneck wasn’t lack of skill, tools, or people—it was the approval process itself.

She describes a familiar scenario for many packaging teams:

Q: What slows artwork projects down the most?

Tilda:
“Many clients need external validation—like approval from authorities or specialists. That can delay projects. But the biggest internal bottleneck happens when everyone checks everything. Without clear ownership, discussions drag on and decisions stall.”

In other words, bottlenecks form when:

• Responsibilities are unclear

• Comments come from everywhere

• Feedback is scattered across emails

• People review the wrong things

• Stakeholders jump in at the wrong time

• A needed approver is sick, on holiday, or unreachable

It wasn’t just inefficient—it introduced real risk.

“When feedback is in multiple inboxes, mistakes happen. Something gets lost, someone reviews an old version… suddenly you’re doing double the work.”

How Cway Helps Avoid These Bottlenecks

Cway didn’t just remove friction—it changed how Tilda managed the entire approval process.

1. Clear Roles = Faster Decisions

Tilda emphasizes that efficient projects start with knowing who checks what:

• Legal checks legal claims

• Markets check languages

• Brand checks design

• Artwork teams check technical accuracy

With Cway, every stakeholder sees only what they’re responsible for—no noise, no confusion.

“The most efficient projects are when everyone knows what they should approve. Cway makes that easy.”

2. Add or Replace Stakeholders Instantly

One of Tilda’s biggest frustrations in other systems was getting “stuck” if someone was unavailable.

Cway solved that:

“If someone goes on sick leave or holiday, we can switch approvers instantly. You never get blocked.”

3. Real-Time Visibility Eliminates Guessing

Instead of waiting for tasks to pop up—or for emails to arrive—Tilda can see progress live:

• Who is reviewing

• Which items need action

• What’s been approved

• What’s falling behind

“You no longer react; you plan.”

4. External Collaboration Without Chaos

Some stakeholders don’t need to join the project—just leave comments.

Cway lets them do exactly that, without a login, while keeping all feedback inside the system.

That alone removes one of the most common bottlenecks in artwork production:
external reviewers who can’t or won’t use a new system.

The Role of AI: Helpful Today, Essential Tomorrow

AI is one of the most talked-about topics in packaging workflows—but also one of the most misunderstood.

Tilda sees the potential, but also the limitations.

Q: Is AI being used for compliance and approval?

Tilda:
“AI can support the process, but it cannot replace human checks. Compliance errors can lead to big fines or someone getting hurt if allergen information is wrong.”

Instead, she views AI as a supporting tool:

• Generating images for briefs

• Assisting with text

• Flagging potential issues before human review

But not as a replacement for experienced specialists.

Q: So where do you see AI being most useful?

Tilda:
“In the early stages—concept work, design exploration, maybe helping structure information. But not the critical compliance work. That still needs human eyes.”

This honesty adds credibility: AI is valuable, but not magical.
Cway integrates supportive AI tools where appropriate, without crossing the line into risky automation.

Expert Advice From Tilda for Artwork Teams Everywhere

After years of managing enormous volumes of packaging projects, Tilda has clear advice for teams struggling with complexity.

1. Define responsibilities early

“Everyone should know exactly what their job is. If everyone checks everything, the project slows down.”

2. Centralize communication

“Email creates chaos. Use a system where all comments, versions, and decisions stay together.”

3. Don’t underestimate visibility

“Seeing the whole project—not just your tasks—helps with planning and reduces stress.”

4. Use a flexible platform

“Teams change, stakeholders change. You need a tool that adapts fast.”

5. Avoid manually coordinating revisions

“It doubles the work and doubles the mistakes.”

These insights aren’t theoretical—they’re lived experience from someone managing dozens of projects every single day.

A Workflow Transformed

What used to feel like firefighting now feels structured.
What used to take hours now takes minutes.
What used to require long email threads now fits seamlessly into one platform.

For Tilda, Cway isn’t just software.
It’s stability in a high-velocity environment.

“You can cut revisions in half. And with real-time visibility, you stay ahead instead of catching up.”

Her workday didn’t get lighter—her tools got smarter.