Imagine sending your (so-called) final approved label to printing and spotting an error at the last minute. Devastating right? 

This would lead to tension and frustration, and costly rework and recalls! 

So, why does this happen? How is a label approved and termed final if it still misses the mark? What role does a label management system play? Let’s find out! 

The Gaps in Approved Labels

Packaging labels undergo a long process, from design to printing. They are the work of multiple stakeholders, from designers to marketing professionals and legal experts, who work around the clock to get accurate and compliant labels into the market. 

Yet, several red flags emerge just as labels are sent for printing. Here are the top reasons why that happens: 

• Last-minute changes: Final changes made close to the print deadline do not follow the standard review process. The pressure to launch quickly often leads to overlooked errors slipping through. 

• Version confusion: Without a proper version control system, stakeholders end up working on different iterations of the same label. A lack of clarity on the latest approved label can result in the wrong version being approved and sent for printing.

• Change in the regulatory landscape: Sudden regulatory updates may require edits to labels that might be overlooked without real-time tracking. This can cause labels to be sent to print without these critical changes.

• Poor visibility: Recent changes often get missed when multiple people collaborate on designing and approving labels. This lack of transparency and visibility can lead to miscommunication and ignored issues. 

• ‍Isolated teams: When design, legal, marketing, and regulatory teams work in silos, key feedback and approvals are likely to be missed. This can cause the wrong label version to be sent ahead.

The Business Impact of These Gaps

Labels are indispensable in ensuring that critical product information reaches consumers. In the pharmaceutical and CPG companies, labels are essential in ensuring that consumers are fully informed about the ingredients, dosage, expiry dates, nutritional values, etc.

Yet, we hear so many instances of wrong labeling and product recalls. 

Boots recalled 500-milligram paracetamol tablets because they were incorrectly labeled as aspirin. This incident affected more than 110,000 packs of tablets. 

In a similar case, ICU Medical recalled IV bags of potassium chloride because the overwrap labels stated POTASSIUM CHLORIDE Inj. 10 mEq instead of 20 mEq. An overdose can produce neuromuscular dysfunction with symptoms such as confusion, weakness, paralysis, and, in some cases, cardiac arrest, which can lead to death. 

Wrong Information on labels, such as incorrect dosage info or incomplete warnings, may spell trouble for a brand in several ways:

• Poor quality labels that reach the market can impact business reputation while also diluting its competitive position.  

• Labels with missing or incorrect information can result in health and safety issues and dissatisfied customers. 

• Wrong labels lead to extensive rework and costly recalls, further delaying product launch. 

• Products with inaccurate labeling also attract heavy regulatory fines and legal proceedings.  

How a Label Management System Ensures 100% Accuracy

Final approved labels must meet all quality and compliance requirements, regardless of how many teams are working on it. That’s where enterprise labeling software like ManageArtwork comes to the rescue. 

This unified, AI-powered label management system simplifies label workflows, accelerates label proofreading, and ensures consistency throughout the lifecycle. Here’s how ManageArtworks ensures 100% accuracy in the final labeling artwork: 

• One source of truth: ManageArtworks serves as a centralized hub for managing all aspects of labeling. Since it brings label-related information into one platform, every stakeholder at every stage of the labeling lifecycle is up-to-date with the latest changes and feedback. 

• Intelligent version control: AI-enabled version control automatically tracks changes made by teams. By surfacing the latest approved artwork version, ManageArtwork ensures stakeholders access and work on the correct file, thus reducing the chances of errors. 

• Robust change management: With ManageArtworks label management software, brands can seamlessly monitor changes and progress. Automated status updates ensure stakeholders know the latest changes and easily adhere to essential deadlines. 

• ‍Automatic scanning of the regulatory environment: ManageArtworks effortlessly integrates with regulatory and quality management systems. By constantly scanning brand and regulatory guidelines, it informs teams of new changes and routes them to respective departments for design and approval.  
  

Don’t let Labeling Errors Slip Through the Gaps

Having your final approved label go through the entire design-to-print process once again can be heartbreaking. Given the additional effort and cost involved in rectifying labeling errors, it makes sense to have a system that nips the problem in the bud. 

An AI-powered label management system can streamline the labeling process, enhancing efficiency, consistency, and speed to market. Explore our solution today to: 

• Centralize all labeling data in a unified platform

• Automate proofreading to accelerate approvals 

• Keep up with regulatory updates and ensure error-free labels