How effective and efficient your
packaging is will ultimately affect your manufacturing process. Even so, there is an overwhelming tendency to view these two things as separate entities. Perhaps you have never really thought about how packaging design might affect your production, in which case you may find the following information very insightful.
Benefits of Standardized Designs
A common belief is that a product must fit into its container precisely. When
manufacturers subscribe to this theory, they often wind up using multiple packages that are nearly identical in size. Switching to a standard size in many cases could cut production time by more than half. There could be an initial investment up front, but that should more than pay for itself within a matter of weeks.
Switching to standardized packaging reduces costs by allowing you to purchase raw materials in bulk. It also eliminates the need to buy many different types of materials, since all of your packages will contain nearly identical ones.
Standard sized packages also prevent a lag in production that occurs from changing over machinery. For example, cartoning machines must be changed over based upon the type of “flap” a box contains. Changing from one type of carton to another can take as long as five hours
, which is production time lost that cannot be regained.
Mitigating Problems
Many times, it is not until a product rolls off the assembly line and is fully packaged that design problems are noticed. By then, correcting the issue could require completely revamping your operations. The best way to avoid unwanted surprises is to account for them during the planning process. In other words, don’t think of your packaging as an afterthought, but as a part of your overall product development.
During the development phase, consider potential issues such as label skew, lids that won’t seal, or pouches that fail to stay closed. That way, you won’t be left scrambling to deal with problems when you need to be sending goods out the door.
Involve your Marketing Team
Without the right packaging in place, it will be next to impossible to get your products noticed. As such, your marketing team should work closely with product developers, particularly when it comes to packaging. The goal should be to come up with packaging that complements your product and conveys the right message.
You may be thinking of things in a practical manner, but your marketing specialists are more likely to see them from a consumer’s standpoint. As such, any glaring discrepancies can be noted right away and the appropriate changes made early on.
When coming up with a new product, do not neglect your package design. This is one area that many people struggle in, which is why a good number of them turn to us. For help with custom package design, contract packaging, or advice on how to perform packaging yourself, please contact us here at Combined Technologies, Inc. We have solutions for every need imaginable, and look forward to finding the best one for you.
