“Even with 100% prints and a ‘fresh pair of eyes’, the (manual) procedure was time-consuming and unfortunately not conclusive due to human limitations in discovering errors.”
Mr. Van der Klis, Head of Graphics Print Preparation

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GlobalVision Helps Smurfit Achieve Error-Free Print and Packaging

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About Smurfit Kappa Group

Smurfit Kappa is a prominent member of the Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) 100, renowned across Europe as the foremost producer of corrugated packaging and a global leader in paper-based packaging. Its operations extend beyond packaging to include paper, recycling, and forestry, providing a well-rounded and integrated network of services.

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Spanning 36 countries throughout Europe and the Americas, Smurfit Kappa boasts a global workforce of nearly 48,000 employees as of 2023, while generating an impressive revenue of 12.8 million euros in 2022. The company’s headquarters are located in Dublin, with additional regional headquarters in Amsterdam and Miami.

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Smurfit Kappa’s innovative portfolio of paper-packaging solutions is unmatched, with constant updates and market-leading developments. They produce a wide variety of papers primarily used for packaging, with a total global capacity of approximately 8.3 million tonnes per annum.

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The Challenge: Manual Checks are Prone to Human-Error

Due to the highly specialized nature of its products and services, Smurfit Kappa Group has to ensure the utmost quality of its print and packaging. Errors or mistakes in files or artwork could lead to detrimental recalls, financial losses, or a decrease in brand loyalty and integrity – all issues that could otherwise be very difficult to reverse.

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Previously, Smurfit Kappa MNL relied on manual visual checks as their primary method of proofreading critical assets. According to Mr. Van Der Klis, Head of Graphics Print Preparation at their Netherlands location, manually proofreading files and artwork was extremely time-consuming, inefficient, and error-prone.

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Human error is one of the most common reasons for missed errors as the brain tends to correct mistakes automatically. This makes finding errors manually extremely difficult and mistakes go undetected and overlooked.

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To ensure their products’ quality, accuracy, and consistency, Smurfit Kappa MNL in the Netherlands turned to GlobalVision as the solution to their inspection and verification problems.

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“GlobalVision assists in day-to-day operations. We rely on it for content checks of text, logos, and missing print elements. This allows us to focus on print technical checks.”
Mr. Van der Klis, Head of Graphics Print Preparation

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The Solution: Minimize Errors and Ensure Quality Through Automation

According to Mr. Van der Klis, GlobalVision’s features like layer selection, match scale, page inclusion/exclusion, and support for multiple (rotated) repeats were instrumental in their inspection and revision processes. Additionally, the possibility of running an automated check between the artwork and adjusted files of different sizes, formats, and selected/deselected layers proved extremely useful and one of the primary reasons they opted for GlobalVision.

Manual detection of minor and seemingly insignificant differences is difficult and can lead to significant problems if not detected and immediately corrected. GlobalVision’s features and capabilities enabled the revision teams at Smurfit Kappa MNL to not only identify all differences but also optimized their inspections, allowing them to concentrate on correcting and adjusting their files for pixel-to-pixel perfection.

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Teaming up with GlobalVision has provided Smurfit Kappa MNL with several advantages, including:

• Increased productivity
• Increased efficiency of workflows
• Decreased revision times and cycles
• Decreased errors

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Conclusion

By implementing GlobalVision’s quality control inspection system, Smurfit Kappa MNL was able to automate its inspection and verification workflows and bridge known gaps in its proofreading processes.

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This has significantly reduced the time spent checking for errors in artwork and eliminated the need for additional resources or people to double-check and proofread files. The system has also lowered the risk of customers rejecting packaging due to print errors, reducing frustration and improving customer relations.

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When asked what Smurfit Kappa would do if GlobalVision was taken off the market, Mr. Van der Klis was quick to respond, “That would cause a significant setback!” The system has become an integral part of their workflow, and its absence would be greatly felt.

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At Smurfit Kappa MNL, relying on manual checks for error-free files is a significant risk they cannot afford to take. Even with 20/20 vision, manual checks can lead to minor mistakes slipping through that lead to detrimental outcomes. To avoid these scenarios altogether, Smurfit Kappa uses GlobalVision as an essential part of its everyday inspection and verification processes.

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“GlobalVision has reduced frustration, and there is less risk of customers rejecting packaging because of a print error.”
Mr. Van der Klis, Head of Graphics Print Preparation

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