Mars accelerates global artwork management with Esko WebCenter

Esko WebCenter has successfully transformed and consolidated Mars' global artwork management workflow, enabling the confectionery giant to achieve process harmonization across its diverse product categories and geographical locations.

Jan De Roeck, CMO of Esko, said the partnership exemplifies how the right packaging management technology can transform operations for global brands.

‘The cloud-based WebCenter platform provides a centralized solution that connects all stakeholders in the packaging process, from brand owners and designers to pre-media and print suppliers, enabling real-time collaboration and significantly reducing time-to-market,’ said De Roeck. ‘We are delighted to have worked with Mars to successfully achieve cross-category process harmonization and enhanced operational visibility using our market-leading packaging management platform.’

Torsten Ilse, global graphics director at Mars, who has overseen the implementation, highlighted the strategic importance of selecting a technology with deep CPG and packaging design expertise.

‘We had previously adopted efficient processes and had good process adherence, but these were different solutions typically dependent on the geography and the category,’ commented Ilse. ‘While we had individually reasonably efficient processes in pet nutrition, in confectionery and in our food categories, these represented different ways of doing the same thing, creating unnecessary fragmentation and redundancy and hence preventing meaningful process harmonization.

‘We needed a partner who understood both the consumer packaged goods sector and the specific requirements of packaging design and artwork management workflows which include both graphics and structural design. Simple aspects like having a good viewer, being able to work effectively with annotations and also have flexibility with various graphical file formats, can be hugely beneficial. Esko WebCenter stood out for its intuitive interface, robust annotation capabilities, and flexibility in handling many graphical file formats.’

The WebCenter platform has improved Mars' artwork management workflows through advanced project management capabilities that provide real-time visibility into project status and deadlines. It also added annotation and approval tools that streamline the review process and comprehensive KPI tracking and analytics for continuous process improvement. The platform’s flexible workflow configuration helps to maintain global standards while accommodating regional requirements.

‘One of the most significant advantages has been the ability to harmonize processes across our different product categories and geographies,’ added Ilse. ‘This level of alignment was previously unattainable, and we're now seeing valuable synergies and benchmarking opportunities across business segments.’

‘WebCenter continues to set new standards for packaging workflow efficiency,’ said De Roeck. ‘The platform's ability to provide clear project oversight, facilitate collaboration, and deliver actionable insights makes it an essential tool for companies looking to optimize their packaging operations in today's fast-paced market environment.’