Mariani Packing Company, Inc.,  a global producer of premium dried fruit, announced that it has selected Loftware, Inc. to automate its packaging artwork management processes using Loftware’s Smartflow solution. Through this new partnership, Mariani hopes to improve their existing processes, enhance collaboration with involved stakeholders, and reduce time-to-market for releasing their products to both end consumers and to their significant private label customer base.

Prior to engaging with Loftware, Mariani was handling artwork management and workflow approval processes through time-consuming manual efforts, such as email attachments and job jacket folders. The Smartflow solution will provide Mariani an efficient and streamlined, cloud-based workflow solution for managing their entire packaging design and approval process for over 200 SKUs of dried fruit products, which they produce and deliver to over 40,000 retail outlets in the US and over 65 countries worldwide.

“We were in the process of a brand refresh and at the same time we knew it made sense to find an online platform that could accommodate all of the artwork management needs of our growing company,” says Kristine Bonovich, Mariani Packing Senior Business Manager. “Smartflow can be completely customized for all of our business requirements, while offering a workflow solution that can help in other areas of our business, supporting our companywide Continual Improvement Process (CIP) initiative. Smartflow provides infinite possibilities.”

A configurable and automated artwork management platform, Loftware’s Smartflow is a “Software as a Service” (SaaS) solution that eliminates manual processes and all paper files by making all content accessible in the Cloud. It streamlines the packaging concept-to-shelf process with customized workflows to gain efficiency and virtually eliminate manual mistakes. With improved visibility on all steps of a project, Smartflow enhances stakeholder collaboration through online proofing and ensures accountability with time-sensitive task reminders. Smartflow also offers version control, reducing IT involvement, to help ensure control and compliance.

Mariani just had their “go live” with Loftware Smartflow in July, with additional plans to roll out the solution to other areas of the business in the following months. With the new Smartflow solution multiple stakeholders can review artwork in parallel and further enable digital collaboration with the Company’s external vendors and partners.