Let’s face it: consumers are rocking the packaging world. Their rapidly changing tastes and preferences for “micro” targeted products have added complexity to many packaging operations. This trend and others signal that it’s time to rethink operational strategies to maintain or improve margins.
Paramount to a revised strategy is determining where you and your team add the most value for your customers. Like most packaging ops leaders, your time is likely best spent on strategic initiatives that aim to retain current customers and attract new ones. With this in mind, your next focus should be to outsource non-core production to a contract packager and/or fulfillment service provider. These partners can create the time and space you need to shift from reactive to proactive and from value-neutral to value-add, which is a very important long-term play.
The best contract packaging partnerships begin with shared clarity, and end with your business goals met or exceeded. Here are some building blocks to lay the foundation for success:
Most of all, make sure your new contract packaging partner is collaborative, will contribute to your profitability, and will be a strategic asset long-term.
There are many benefits contract packagers offer manufacturers such as:
These three benefits alone are compelling reasons to explore partnering with a contract packager. Other synergies like specialization, kitting and assembly, distribution networks, innovation and diversification also add to the business benefit of using outsourced packaging services. As you work to stay ahead of manufacturing trends, consider using a contract packaging partner to galvanize your value-add for customers.
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