EFI has released PackCentral, a new addition to its MarketDirect platform designed to allow packaging professionals to target profitable growth through new revenue streams and reduced sales costs by utilising enhanced web-to-pack (W2P) capability.

MarketDirect PackCentral allows packaging and corrugated service providers to increase value for the brands they serve by streamlining end-to-end workflows, according to EFI, while also providing future-ready features like SmartBox Designer, a new tool to simplify and visualise online 3D designs.

The updated EFI MarketDirect options for packaging design and project re-ordering are intended to help converters quickly adapt to global trends toward just-in-time, customised inventory, and multi SKU/versioned packaging supply chains, which in-turn provide new revenue stream opportunities and growth capabilities, noted EFI. The software also simplifies and automates key operations to help packaging printers and converters maintain and grow profits, stated the supplier. This includes:

  • Intuitive and flexible tools, which enable customers, procurement agents and buyers to quickly search, select and order products 24/7 from a customised online portal;
  • Producers and manufacturers being able to more efficiently create and publish a library of products to online catalogues, eliminating errors and reducing transactional costs by moving more procurement online. Users can automatically create sales orders and view available inventory saving precious time for customers and CSRs alike; and
  • SmartBox Designer, which allows the creation, customisation and visualisation of folding carton and corrugated box designs entirely online. Brands and designers can bring their designs to life in real time before placing orders, ensuring brand integrity while speeding time to market.

Specifically, new PackCentral W2P options are designed to enhance the functionality MarketDirect offers beyond its core customer communication and marketing campaign management capabilities, adding easy-to-use procurement, order management, and customer collaboration tools designed specifically for packaging converters and brands.

Early reviewers such as US-based custom corrugated packaging manufacturer Abbott-Action in Attleboro, Massachusetts have been able to see how company’s can improve their total offering to brands using such tools.

Abbott-Action expects MarketDirect PackCentral to provide the business with an intuitive online design, ordering and management process that will help make it the preferred or sole converting partner for an even greater segment of its client base.

Abbott-Action CEO J. Samuel Abbott commented, ‘We’re excited about the potential with SmartBox Designer to support our key brand agents in specifying content online. Our valued customers are always looking for flexible tools to better manage their artwork and assets through production.

‘SmartBox Designer will enable us to push our small box order specification to an online platform, enabling our customers to process orders on a digital platform removes internal administrative tasks and greatly improves our speed to market.’

EFI MarketDirect PackCentral is available now from EFI and authorised EFI resellers.