How Exakta cut packaging time by 50% with GelatoConnect

For a business like Exakta Group, one of Northern Europe’s leading print production hubs, navigating industry shifts means constant evolution. With over 170 employees and an annual revenue of $45–$50 million, Exakta’s success is built on a foundation of personalized service, stretching back to 1975.

Since its founding, Exakta Group has expanded and thrived through changing technologies and economic conditions. In recent years, however, the rapid rise of the creator economy and the surge in demand for micro-orders shifted what was needed to succeed in this industry:

“Exakta’s CEO, Patrick Andersson, explained this shift in strategy: “Our strategy 7 or 8 years ago was to buy traditional print companies in Sweden and increase our turnover that way. But in the last 3/4 years, with Gelato’s help, we have changed our strategy. We now look at what products are most interesting for our customers and new customers. And where can we see growth?”

Andersson added, “We are moving from a hand-labor industry into a process industry, and I think many of the printers are stuck in the old way of thinking. But as we challenge ourselves with new customers and new products, we need to adapt. We need to take administration and utility to another level. We need to improve utilization of our resources to be competitive, and not be happy with a 2% profit margin. Over time, we cannot live on that profit.”

He highlighted the issues that needed tackling before a company can really start to thrive in the creator economy: “In production, there are two main problems to solve with micro orders: one is how to produce them, and two is how to ship them. With GelatoConnect, we solve both.”

Exakta implemented GelatoConnect across their production line, which includes offset, digital, and large-format printing machines. The integration allowed them to shift focus to a product-first approach, giving Exakta the flexibility to select the ideal printing method for each order, improving both efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Andersson explained: “In the traditional way when we do the quotation, we decide what machine and method of production to use. But our customers don’t really need to know if it’s printed using offset or inkjet, they want a product, and we want to produce it as efficiently as possible.” 

But the benefits really started once the products were made and ready to ship. With GelatoConnect’s advanced logistics capabilities, Exakta achieved a 50% reduction in packaging time, allowing them to handle more orders without increasing headcount in packaging. “By optimizing our packaging process, we no longer needed as many staff in this area, and we could scale up or down as needed,” Jonas Persson, E-commerce Sales Manager, shared.

Exakta is excited about the future possibilities with GelatoConnect. By expanding GelatoConnect’s efficiencies to other parts of their production line, Exakta aims to reduce inventory by as much as 80%, allowing them to store fewer products while increasing the volume of ready-to-ship units.

Exakta also sees potential for growth by leveraging Gelato’s network to balance machine load, allowing them to optimize machine usage to meet fluctuating demand and even collaborate with other printers for local fulfillment on a global scale. “If we look at all the running hours from our equipment, the good production in every machine is at most 30-35%. If we can offer our production capacity to other printers around the world, GelatoConnect could provide a combined workflow for us all. It’s a really interesting opportunity.” Andersson stated. 

We’ll be sure to update you on the amazing progress the Exakta team is making with GelatoConnect. And if you want to check out GelatoConnect for yourself, head over to gelato.com/connect

Watch the podcast to learn how Exakta optimized its production with GelatoConnect for long-term success.

For more insights on how GelatoConnect can help your business scale, visit us at Gelato.com.