Somerfield upgrades artwork proofing system

Supermarket chain Somerfield is upgrading the system it uses to proof artwork for its own-label products.

The retailer has been using the Odin system, which shortened the approval process for designs of the company’s own-brand packaging, for the past two years. Approvals used to take weeks, but the introduction of the system slashed this to within a day. The upgrade will improve this process further, allowing each user to compare versions and identify changes that have been made quickly.

Somerfield head of technical solutions Stephen Ridge said that the supermarket had been talking to Odin about the upgrade for quite some time. “We have an aggressive programme in place for own-label and Odin will help us meet the demanding artwork schedule,” he said.

“The quality of the product we put on the shelf, from ingredients to packaging, is key for us and Odin enables us to increase speed-to-market without detracting from our high standards.”

Proofs are held online so that they can be accessed by the relevant individuals, whether inside or outside of Somerfield. Each person in the approval process can add digital notes to files, which provides an audit trail of changes made. In addition, an asset management repository allows all up-to-date images and graphics to be held centrally, where they can be accessed for use in marketing and promotions.