4 pitfalls in the development of industrial packaging

Pitfall 1: Your set of requirements is not complete

When you are not satisfied with your packaging, it can have several origins. Packaging experts at Faes confirm that most complaints arise because the requirements were incomplete or inadequately communicated at the beginning of packaging development.

Communicating your requirements may seem simple, but in practice this is where things often go wrong. For example: you have had packaging developed that seems to meet everything. It is compact, light, the interior is fully customized for the users and the exterior completely matches the corporate identity of your company. Nothing to complain about, right?

Until it turns out that the packaging faces all sorts of challenges en route to its destination; different means of transportation, handling, laws, regulations, logistics standards. Moreover, it turns out that the packaging cannot withstand the extreme heat in the destination country. In short, the total packaging chain has not been sufficiently considered.

Of course, my colleagues and I ask as many questions as possible regarding the application, the destination and the circumstances in which a package will travel. Nevertheless, it is wise to think about the package of requirements yourself and answer the question; “what will the packaging encounter on the way?” in detail.

Pitfall 2: You start thinking about packaging too late

Often the development of packaging is not started until the product, the content, is already finished. Packaging development is then separate from the development of the product to be packaged. It may happen that a package falls just outside the standard logistical dimensions (collomodule) because this was not taken into account during the product development phase.

Even a relatively small increase in volume per box can result in fewer products being able to fit on a pallet. On an annual basis, this can dramatically increase transportation costs and thus affect the final product price (competitiveness) and/or margin considerably.

In short; involve your packaging specialist in this process in a timely manner.

Pitfall 3: You have the packaging designed internally, but the expertise is lacking

Some companies choose to have the industrial packaging – like the new product – designed by their own engineer. This may sound logical and advantageous, but this engineer lacks expertise, making a wrong choice easy to make. Think about material choice, ergonomics, legislation and environmental impact. Not for nothing does the course ‘Packaging Design and Management’ exist in the Netherlands.

Packaging specialists are aware of all specific developments and best practices from the market. Especially when the packaging issue becomes more complex it can become necessary to think ‘out of the box’, which requires experience. Faes’ engineers have the right skills to achieve an optimal product.

Pitfall 4: Packaging is not manufacturable or not the most practical option

In the world of packaging, each material – both for the casing and interior of the package – has its own set of properties as well as limitations.

These include physical properties (such as shock absorption, robustness, waterproofness), but also the flexibility of the production process (minimum volume). Without in-depth knowledge and experience in this area, choices can be made that may be theoretically possible, but for which there is a much better or more advantageous alternative in practice.

So in this case, too, it is wise to involve a packaging expert in time to put together the requirements package and design.