Manufacturing and processing: Customer portal for packaging manufacturers
A customer portal for packaging manufacturers where brand owners review proofs, find approved artwork files and follow the status of open orders and call-offs.
What customers of packaging manufacturers want to see.
At packaging manufacturers a proof usually goes to the customer by email, who forwards it to marketing, the design agency and sometimes legal for the label text. Replies come back in separate emails, with comments on different versions mixed together. Who finally signed off, and on which version, is hard to prove afterwards. On top of that, the buyer regularly asks which artwork belongs to which item number, or when the next call-off will arrive. That takes up the sales office's time and, when a complaint comes in, leads to arguments about what was actually approved.
Customer portal for packaging manufacturers
Example- 1
Decide who reviews and signs
DoneFor each customer we set who has access and what they may do: a designer may comment, a brand manager may approve the proof, a buyer sees orders and deliveries.
- 2
Show proof, version and status
In progressThe customer sees the current proof with its revision number, earlier versions and the comments made on them.
- 3
Send comments back to prepress
NextComments on a proof are kept with the right version and reach prepress as a concrete correction.
From invitation to approval.
Decide who reviews and signs
For each customer we set who has access and what they may do: a designer may comment, a brand manager may approve the proof, a buyer sees orders and deliveries. An external design agency only gets access to proofs for the items it works on, and never to prices or other brands.
Show proof, version and status
The customer sees the current proof with its revision number, earlier versions and the comments made on them. Each item shows the latest approved artwork, so a repeat order can be based on the right version. Open orders show whether they are awaiting approval, in production or ready for delivery.
Send comments back to prepress
Comments on a proof are kept with the right version and reach prepress as a concrete correction. Once processed, a new version appears with a higher revision number. Approval is recorded with name and time, after which the job is released for scheduling.
Less email, the same records.
Packaging manufacturers usually keep artwork in a prepress workflow or on a file server, orders in the order system and delivery dates in the schedule. The portal takes over none of those roles but shows the customer what matters to them per item and order. Prepress owns the artwork files, the sales office owns order data. The customer owns their approval and the comments they post.
Approve in the portal or by email
Email is familiar and asks nothing of the customer. But approval in an email is hard to tie to a specific version. In the portal every approval belongs to one revision number. For customers who prefer not to use the portal, the sales office can log an email approval by hand, with the message attached.
Show every file or only final ones
Working files, cutter guides and interim versions are useful to prepress but confuse a buyer. Many manufacturers show customers only the proof and final artwork and keep technical files internal. A design agency can still be given access to supply specifications and the cutter guide for its items.
One login per company or per person
A shared login is simple, but then you cannot tell who approved a proof. Personal logins make approval traceable and let you set rights per role. It takes a little more admin on the customer side but avoids disputes if a print error turns up.
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Read the storyWhat customers find in the portal.
In the portal, customers see their proofs with revision numbers, can leave comments and give an approval that is recorded. Before customers get access, we try it together with a simple proof that is approved in one round and with a proof that three people at the customer respond to. An artwork archive per item and the status of orders and call-offs can be switched on when customers ask for them.
View pricingSupport and updatesGood to know.
Explore pricing and optionsCan customers place comments directly on the proof?
Yes, a customer can point to a spot on the proof and add a comment there, about a line of text or a colour area for example. All comments from one round go to prepress together. Prepress gets a complete correction list instead of separate emails that contradict each other.
What if a customer approves the wrong version by mistake?
An approval is always tied to a specific revision number and recorded with name and time. If the customer spots the mistake before production starts, the sales office can withdraw the approval and open a new round. If the job is already printed, the record shows which version was signed.
Can a design agency upload new files itself?
Yes, if the brand owner wants that. The agency can supply a new file for an item, after which prepress checks bleed, cutter guides and colour profile. Only after that check is a proof made. Files stop arriving through side channels.
Can customers see the stock we hold for them?
If you hold stock for customers and deliver on call-off, the portal can show per item how much is ready and what has already been called off. That does require the warehouse figures to be current. We connect to the system where you already track that stock.
What often connects to this.
- Digital job cards for packaging manufacturersDigital job cards for packaging manufacturers that keep the approved proof and its revision number, the machine settings and the checks for each production run with the same job.
- Website for packaging manufacturersA website for packaging manufacturers that explains box formats, board grades and print options clearly enough that a buyer knows what to supply before sending an enquiry.
- Enquiry form for packaging manufacturersAn enquiry form for packaging manufacturers that asks for cutting die, run size, board and print, so your estimator can price the job without three rounds of follow-up emails.
One place for your customers.
Start with a short intake. Then we schedule a call to show the software with your services, team and way of working.
WhatsAppinfo@vorlyo.com Customer portal for packaging manufacturers: approve proofs online, find artwork versions and follow orders and call-offs for each customer.
- Decide who reviews and signs
- Show proof, version and status
- Send comments back to prepress