Getting the Copy Right

According to Kaufman, adoption of the IPC XML specification enables accurate packaging information to travel from the system of record (residing securely with the brand owner) through the supply chain (Schawk) to the manufacturing entity (the converter) to the retail shelf. Although Kaufman says that Schawk currently processes between 1,400 and 1,500 designs or between 2 and 3 percent of the packages it handles each month using the IPC XML method, widespread adoption of the specification still has a long way to go. This is especially true in the less regulated retail and consumer products market. Because pharmaceutical firms must comply with strict governmental regulation of their label content, pharmaceutical packaging lends itself quite handily to a dynamic workflow solution, Kaufman observes.