As the pace of business life accelerates for packaging and label printers, investment decision making is getting tough. ‘Do I add headcount or machines to meet the production complexity of production we’re now seeing?’ In fact, we need to pause, step back and truly assess what is going on. Just like any contemporary office or service environment, operational efficiency is as reliant on having the latest software technology as it is people and physical assets, and yet it is often a secondary consideration.

Esko, a global developer of software solutions, offers a flexible, fully integrated range of software, from artwork origination through prepress, production and into packing and shipping, to shift the efficiency of the typical printer environment from smooth, but with identifiable bottlenecks, to hyper-efficiency. Designing from the outset in realistic 3D, with the ability to share the concepts in real-time with customers or suppliers, comes as standard with Esko Share & Approve. Esko Automation Engine smooths the path of jobs through the prepress and print stages, while Cape Palletization software perfectly calculates the shipping and logistics information for super-optimized delivery, with a minimal carbon footprint. Whether connecting the entire network of stakeholders or eliminating errors and streamlining the entire production process from start to finish, Esko understands that digital transformation is the key to competitiveness and longevity in today’s print world.

Those companies adopting software to connect and automate processes understand the need to secure hyper-efficiency to compete. They also understand the benefits of eradicating human intervention; not to lose headcount, but to reduce repetitive work and redirect skilled labor to more value adding, growth-generating roles.

Connectivity and automation through software integration reduces errors and waste, saves costs, creates more exciting and fulfilling roles for employees and secures longevity for converters in what can be highly commoditized and competitive sectors. Software is truly the key to business success in today’s packaging environment.