Get Started
Get Started

Using Automation to streamline label Creation & Approval for Wine Producers

 

 

A Case Study in Automating Approval Process

 A family-owned wine maker had steadily grown to become one of the top ten wine producers in the US, selling over 6 million cases per year. To support their continued growth and global expansion, the wine producer sought to modernize and streamline their wine label creation and approval process.

By partnering with Elantis and leveraging the Microsoft Power Platform, these wineries aimed to enhance efficiency, reduce errors, and ensure regulatory compliance.

Using Automation to streamline label Creation & Approval for Wine Producers

64% reduction in approval stages

100% compliance assurance

Real-time visibility across all requests

The Challenge

By nature, the labelling process for alcoholic beverages is complex, requiring involvement from many internal and external stakeholders. The wineries faced a series of challenges in their label approval processes.

Key issues identified included:

  • Inefficient processes: The existing label approval process involved multiple business units. Each unit had its own siloed steps, leading to a fragmented and inefficient workflow.
  • Complex regulatory compliance: Ensuring that food and beverages meet regulatory standards is a complex task, involving rigorous approvals from health and safety, legal, marketing, and quality assurance departments. Adding to the complexity, regulations vary by country, so multiple label versions may be needed if the wine is shipped to different countries.
  • Decentralized data: There was no centralized system to track the status of label approval requests, making it difficult to manage and monitor the process effectively.
  • Lengthy approvals: The original process involved eleven stages, from the label request, to its development and reviews, to final approval and production. This complexity often led to multiple iterations and revisions, delaying the time to market.

 

The Solution

The wine producer engaged Elantis to create a powerful solution that dramatically streamlined the label creation and approval process:

  • Comprehensive workflow automation: Elantis implemented a solution using Microsoft Power Automate, creating a workflow that encompassed all components for a seamless label creation and approval. This included product details, required labels, and approval signatures.
  • Customizable fields and user-friendly formatting: The forms were designed with customizable fields and user-friendly formatting, allowing them to adapt to the wineries’ specific needs while maintaining consistency with their branding.
  • Real-time analytics: A comprehensive dashboard was developed to track all ongoing label requests in real-time, enhancing visibility and management of the overall process.
  • Automated notifications and reminders: Users receive automated task notifications, including details required for approval such as vintage, brand, varietal, and so on. Automated follow-up notifications ensure timely completion of tasks.
  • Integration with the vintage release calendar: The workflow was integrated with the vintage release calendar, automatically initiating workflows based on specific date thresholds and updating relevant data for new vintage releases.
  • Streamlined processes: Elantis assisted in reducing the 11-stage process to just 4 stages. The new workflow ensured that marketing obtained compliance sign-off and a certificate of label approval from the governing body before proceeding.
  • Role-based task assignments: Using conditional logic, the workflow determined the appropriate label buyer based on the brand, who then routed label proofs to the relevant winemaker and quality assurance team for final approval.

 

The Result

Using the Microsoft Power Platform, the wine producer was able to dramatically improve their processes, supporting their continued expansion and commitment to quality:

 

  1. Time Saved: By automating the label approval process, the manufacturer significantly reduced the time required for approvals, allowing products to reach the market faster and with less effort. This complex process was simplified from eleven stages to four, while maintaining accuracy and compliance.
  2. Reduced Errors: Automation mitigated the risk of errors and discrepancies, ensuring regulatory compliance and maintaining high standards of quality. The centralized data and role-based task assignments ensured that the right personnel handled each step.
  3. Enhanced Efficiency: The new system improved productivity across all involved business units, reducing the effort required for label approvals.
  4. Improved experience: Because this process involved many stakeholders, from wine makers to label buyers and vendors, improving this process resulted in streamlined interactions with participants both internal and external.
  5. Data-Driven Insights: Centralized data allowed for enhanced analytics, providing insights through dashboards and reports that facilitated better decision-making and real-time visibility into the status of all label drafts and approvals.

By partnering with Elantis and using the Power Platform, the wine producer achieved significant improvements in efficiency, accuracy, and compliance. We can help you do the same! Let’s discuss how you can use Microsoft technologies as a catalyst for growth and innovation in your organization!

Technologies Used

N
Power Platform
N
Power Automate

Quick Bites: Your 30 Second Summary

The wine producer faced inefficiencies in their label approval process, with siloed workflows, complex compliance requirements, decentralized data, and lengthy approvals spanning 11 stages.
Elantis implemented Microsoft Power Automate to streamline workflows, automate approvals, integrate with the vintage release calendar, and provide real-time analytics.
The process was reduced from 11 stages to 4, with automated notifications, customizable fields, and role-based task assignments ensuring accuracy and compliance.
Time to market was significantly improved, errors were reduced, efficiency increased across business units, and the user experience was enhanced for all stakeholders.
The new system provided data-driven insights, centralized tracking, and seamless collaboration, supporting the winery’s continued growth and commitment to quality.
Download Case Study PDF

We can help you get results!

Get in touch with Elantis today

Learn More

Revamping Your Intranet: The Scary Truth Behind Outdated Information Architecture (And Why SharePoint Could be Your Hero)

Revamping Your Intranet: The Scary Truth Behind Outdated Information Architecture (And Why SharePoint Could be Your Hero)

Nov 1, 2024 |

Halloween is the perfect time to face the “ghosts” in your outdated intranet—like dead links and outdated info—that haunt productivity and engagement. Instead of a chaotic maze, imagine an organized, dynamic hub where employees easily find what they need. This post covers why and how to revamp your intranet with enhanced searchability, streamlined structure, and Microsoft Copilot, transforming daily workflows and boosting overall satisfaction.

read more