If you work in CPG, you already know: packaging updates are never just about "a quick update" to a label.

You’re not tweaking one file. You’re coordinating updates across dozens of SKUs, multiple regions, and a tangled web of regulatory requirements.

Every market has its own rules. Every claim needs signoff. Every change invites feedback from marketing, legal, regulatory, design, supply chain, and someone from procurement who wasn’t even on the thread last week.

The timelines are way worse. Retail launch dates don’t care that someone’s on vacation. Printers need locked files yesterday. And if you miss a step—like sending the wrong version to the wrong region—you’re risking recalls, non-compliance, or lost shelf space.

Packaging updates are painful because they live at the intersection of urgency, visibility, and risk. They require precision across teams that rarely move at the same speed.

So how do high-performing CPG teams pull it off?

They follow a process. One built around clear inputs, structured workflows, transparent approvals, and compliance that isn’t tacked on at the end. With the right system, packaging changes can feel like clockwork instead of crisis.

Let’s break that down.

Start with a brief that doesn't cause confusion  

Most packaging updates begin with a nudge. Sometimes it’s a new UPC for a seasonal SKU. Maybe regulatory just ruled your current label noncompliant in Canada. Or marketing's rolling out a new visual identity (again).

For CPG teams managing dozens or even hundreds of SKUs, clear briefs are the difference between smooth updates and six-week delays.

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Too many change requests start with a vague “please update” Slack message or an email chain titled "URGENT!!!!" That’s how mistakes and rework happen.

What a good brief includes:

• What’s changing (and what’s not)

• Why it’s changing

• Which SKUs and markets it affects

• Who needs to weigh in and approve

This sounds basic, but even global brands get this wrong. And when they do, it creates bottlenecks and revision loops that eat weeks.

If you’re managing this manually, good luck.  

If you’re using Artwork Flow or any other artwork management system, the pain is avoidable.  

Our flexible artwork workflows let you build structured, stage-based packaging management processes tailored to your team. So even if your label update involves Marketing in New York and Reg Affairs in Zurich, they know exactly when and how they need to act.

Streamline feedback before it becomes a bottleneck

Once the update is in motion, the madness begins.

Legal wants proof of claim. Regulatory needs the font changed for compliance. Marketing wants to shift the logo. Designers get pulled into feedback loops that feel endless.

The reason this breaks down is simple: no single source of truth. Files get emailed. Versions multiply. Feedback gets buried.

Artwork Flow’s artwork proofing tools remove the guesswork. Stakeholders can mark up files in real time, compare versions side-by-side, and sign off with full audit trails. Designers don’t have to decode vague email notes. Legal knows exactly what they approved (with e-signatures to boot!).

This way, you can easily stop mistakes before the label heads to print.  

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Make compliance part of the process

...and not the panic.

It’s easy to treat compliance as the last hurdle. But that’s exactly how packaging errors slip through. A missed allergen callout. A wrong claim in a restricted market. A misplaced barcode. All of which can lead to recalls, fines, and damaged consumer trust.

The smartest CPG teams don’t let compliance be an afterthought. They bake it into the packaging workflow.

With Artwork Flow, you can create mandatory checkpoints for regulatory review. You can also assign different workflows for different regions or product categories, making sure no SKU gets overlooked.  

The automated label compliance module also allows you to set up custom rulebooks based on regulations, the market, and product line so you can ship every label with confidence without rolling the dice.  

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Where it usually breaks: The final file

By the time the label update is approved, it’s gone through six departments and endless back-and-forth. But if the wrong version gets sent to the printer, the whole thing unravels.

And it happens more than anyone wants to admit.

If you asked me, proper version control is basic survival at this point. If your final file is sitting in a shared drive next to five other "FINAL_final2.ai" versions, you’ve already lost.

Artwork Flow’s asset library locks in the correct, approved version with metadata, expiry rules, and access controls. So when your print vendor logs in, they’re downloading the right file and not the one someone forgot to archive.

So, what does a smooth packaging update look like?

You know it’s working when:

• Files are tracked, not buried.

• Everyone knows when they need to review.

• Approvals happen in the right order, without reminders.

• Compliance requirements are met without multiple reviewers involved.

• Your team isn’t sweating last-minute changes.

That’s what Artwork Flow was built for. It makes packaging updates repeatable, trackable, and stress-free.

Take it from: you don’t need another spreadsheet to track packaging changes. You need a system that understands how CPG teams actually work. Artwork Flow is that system. Get a demo today to see it in action.

So the next time you update a label across 12 SKUs in 8 markets? You’ll be ready.

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