KENYA · GUIDE 0789 · EDITION 4.2
Product sticker printing in Kenya: Risks and Launch Plan
Set the conditions for a safe commercial test
- Incorrect regulatory wording
- Poor adhesion
A sticker order becomes unusable when attractive flat proofs wrinkle on curved jars, text is too small or customer-supplied details remain unapproved before bulk printing.
A risk list is useful only when it changes a decision. For each risk, write the observable warning, who checks it and the response before the next commitment. Do not treat a reserve of money as permission to continue unsafe or unauthorized work.
Use a small, measurable pilot
Print a short proof run and test adhesion on the actual container.
The pilot scope is: Define label dimensions, surface application and artwork content with the customer, checking whether variable information or specialised product claims require their explicit written approval.
| Gate | Evidence before continuing |
|---|---|
| Scope agreed | Define label dimensions, surface application and artwork content with the customer, checking whether variable information or specialised product claims require their explicit written approval. |
| Output acceptable | Apply a printed proof to the actual container and review colour, legibility and adhesion, checking that curved surfaces do not obscure essential product information. |
| Costs recorded | Include artwork cleanup, proofing, sheet layout, cutting waste and rejected colour output, distinguishing repeat artwork from new designs whose setup dominates a short run. |
| Buyer response recorded | Record artwork versions, container samples, proof approvals, cutting rejects and application feedback so the next order reproduces a tested specification rather than a remembered appearance. |
Stage the launch around prerequisites
First confirm the buyer specification and activity requirements. Then compare suppliers, establish suitable facilities and prepare the operating record. Run the bounded trial when those prerequisites are in place. Review actual costs, quality failures and cash collected before increasing the commitment.
This sequence is not a promise that the complete business cycle fits into 30 days. Growing periods, qualifications, approvals, seasonal access and customer buying cycles can require longer. Revise the schedule when a prerequisite changes rather than skipping it to meet a launch date.
Choose continue, revise, pause or stop
Continue only when the scoped result is accepted and direct costs and payment timing are workable. Revise one part of the offer if the problem is identifiable and affordable to test again. Pause when required information, permission, skills or resources are missing. Stop the affected work when safety, consent or lawful authority is uncertain.
Keep a maximum test loss and unpaid-balance limit suited to your actual funds. A successful single delivery is useful evidence, but it does not establish year-round demand or justify committing every available resource.
Tie launch milestones to observable checks
| Risk signal | Evidence to inspect | Response to test |
|---|---|---|
| Edges lift on jar | Check residue, curvature and stock adhesive | Trial suitable stock and reapprove the applied sample. |
| Small text fills in | Compare print with actual-size proof | Increase type or change process with approval; do not silently alter wording. |
| Cut crosses artwork | Check scaling and registration against template | Stop, correct registration and reject miscut sheets. |
Outstanding go / hold conditions
- Exact stock/printer compatibility and actual label obligations require verification; rates are illustrative.
Assign an owner, evidence reference and review date to each unresolved condition. Do not give every milestone a fixed calendar date when it depends on a crop, production, approval or competence cycle. Run only a suitable limited trial, reconcile accepted output and actual cash, and record whether the evidence supports holding, revising, proceeding within the limit or stopping.