Requirements checklist
What to ask for when choosing software for folding carton manufacturers.
A checklist built from how folding carton manufacturers work, to print or save as a PDF and bring to any supplier meeting.
What the software should cover
Tick each one that matters to your business.
- Carton specification and artwork
- Proof and sign-off record
- Paperboard lot stock
- Press, coating and finishing queue
- Die register and cutting records
- Folding, gluing and inspection
Roles that need their own access
Who logs in, and what each person may see or change.
- For owners
- For prepress staff
- For press and finishing crews
- For inspectors and quality staff
- For stores and dispatch
Reports to ask for
Ask to see each one with your own sample data.
- Jobs by stage with proof status
- Board consumed against sheets and cartons made
- Waste in make-ready and stripping per job
- Inspection results per run
- Dies by impressions since repair
- Cartons dispatched by brand and case count
- Open invoices per brand, longest unpaid at the top
Systems it may need to connect to
Note which ones you already run.
- Barcode and case label printing
- Prepress or artwork approval files
- WhatsApp or other messaging
- Accounting software export
Questions for any vendor
Put these to every supplier you are comparing.
- How does it stop an old artwork from being printed?
- Can board lots be traced to finished cartons?
- Does it manage foil stamping and embossing as steps?
- Can it handle window patch cartons?
- How are repeat orders started?
- Can we see dies and their shot counts?
- Can we start with open orders?
- What can we take out if we stop?
- How is pricing worked out?
Where the work usually breaks today
Circle the ones you recognise. They set the order of the project.
- Artwork versions get crossed
- Board lots are not linked to the cartons
- Cutting dies hide on shelves
- Colour approval is repeated
- Inspection results are filed apart
Prefer to talk it through? See the folding carton manufacturers page.