5 Free Tools A Packaging Manager Can Use To Increase Productivity

Technology has created a space for itself in the world by being an industry-agnostic tool. Not only does it ease the work that needs to be done, but it improves productivity as well.

Your job in the packaging industry is most likely filled with tight deadlines and have little to no room for error. Packaging management involves coordinating with different stakeholders, and a hundred items on your to-do list. It’s inevitable to keep accurate tabs on every aspect of your work. You might be sifting through multiple excel sheets and notepads to manage teams, measure productivity, and stay organized. Maybe even relying on written records when it comes to your inventory management.

It’s time to change all of that. We have compiled 5 free - but phenomenal tools - that can drastically optimize your work and increase your productivity:

1. Odoo - Inventory Management

What?

Odoo is an open-source Enterprise Resource Planning solution that has seen a lot of success in the packaging industry. It has received rave reviews on Capterra.

Key Features

1. No need to manually export data to the accounting system.
2. Unique double-entry inventory management allows end-to-end tracking from the supplier to the customer.
3. Update transactions such as picking or manufacturing order.
4. Modern interface - more work is done without expending excess effort.

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The inventory management module in Odoo needs to be downloaded for it to be used. Other apps such as CRM and project management have to be purchased. You also need to have some prior knowledge of Python, a programming language.

2. Artwork Flow - Artwork Management

What?

Artwork Flow is a free software to manage your packaging artwork. 

Hosted on the cloud, the software features reduce TATs while creating packaging artwork. Following are some features that can prove beneficial to packaging managers. 

Key Features

1. It is a cloud-based tool, enabling seamless collaboration on artwork across teams. It also allows role-based access to artwork files. 
2. Users can create customized workflows and have complete visibility on every project. 
3. Through digital asset management, all versions of every artwork can be stored and retrieved as per requirement. 
4. Other features include annotation on artwork files, pdf compare, font finder, and colour extractor. 

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Artwork Flow is free to use for up to 10 users for an unlimited amount of time with unlimited storage space.

Looking for ways to manage your artwork proofing? Well, then this might help you in managing this issue.

3. WorkEp - Employee Scheduling and Organization

What?

WorkEp is a collaboration platform that automates and integrates with G Suite. This, in turn, makes it an efficient ecosystem for project management, collaboration, and planning. 

As a packaging manager, you collaborate with different teams and departments. You might also often work with external teams. It’s hard to be on the same page when it comes to packaging management.

Key Features

1. It streamlines the processes and integrates seamlessly with G Suite, which allows you to easily incorporate files from Google Drive into your existing projects and also sync events and schedules to Google Calendar
2. WorkEp gives detailed and insightful information regarding the progress of a project. If you’re having issues with workflow. 
3. Also offers Kanban boards, Gantt charts, and Agile.

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The Lite model of this tool is free to use up to 10 users. If you have a bigger team and want more features, you will have to pay,

4. Labeljoy - Custom Label Printing

What?

Labeljoy is a free label creator and it is ideal for a packaging manager who need to regularly work at creating linear and 2D barcodes, create and print custom made labels. 

Key Features

1. It has a user-friendly interface and is compatible with standard laser, inkjet, and roll printers. 
2. Paper and label elements get displayed on the screen at the same time as they are printing. 
3. You can easily make anything from very simple to very complicated labels as per your requirement.
4. This tool can also create QR codes and export them in JPG or PDF format.
5. Can import data from external tools such as Excel, Outlook, and Oracle.

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Labeljoy is free to use and there are 6500 layouts in the internal library along with 4500 clipart options to choose from to make things easier for the user.

5. Trello - Productivity-Enhancing Tool

What?

Trello is a productivity-enhancing tool that helps you make sure you and your team stay organized and efficient. It has been consistently rated as one of the best project management tools, and its basic module is available for free.

Key Features

1. Trello allows you to prioritize and organize projects in a flexible way. You can work with different teams and easily multi-task.
2. The layout is an aesthetically pleasing card-based format, making it easy to navigate and use. 
3. Adding notes, files, or comments is very easy, and it also has a mobile app that allows you to use it on the go.
4. You can integrate apps such as Google Drive, Dropbox, Slack, and Evernote, that your team might already be using

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When it comes to packaging management, optimization is required, as you’re in charge of the operation. There is a good chance that its functionality can be hampered if this is not taken into account.

This is where Trello comes in, and its basic model is free to use. You can upgrade to the Business Class model by paying $9.99 a month which comes with its own share of benefits.

Endnote

It’s a universal truth that time is one commodity that you cannot buy. We all have 24 hours in a day to utilize, and there are myriad tools that can be used to increase and enhance the productivity of your work, with the help of technology.

However, in packaging management, there are chances that you will be lagging behind in regard to your competition as well as in terms of skill if you’re not leveraging these tools to your advantage. Companies are readily looking for employees or managers who are technologically savvy and adapt to the bell curve of innovation.