The Veritiv team, with a nationwide network of factory-trained technicians available locally, can analyze, repair and maintain equipment that is causing issues.

Photo courtesy of Veritiv

1. Leave the packaging to the experts. Partner with someone who understands packaging from design to delivery.
   
2. Evaluate material usage. If there is damage, determine the root cause and fix it. A new material or a redesigned package can save money.
3. With COVID-19, labor shortages are an issue, and automation is one answer. Automation optimizes material demand forecasting and usage to increase consistency, speed and savings, while minimizing waste. This creates a predictable, safer shipping experience as e-commerce continues to grow.
4. Don’t be afraid to invest. Automation does require an upfront cost, but most companies see greater consistency, longer production hours and less damage and errors, resulting in a return on investment.
5. Leverage a kitting partner to increase production and regain valuable space in order to add production lines. This also frees up time and energy to focus on the core business.

If you automate, scrub your potential suppliers thoroughly for experience, overall capability and support infrastructure — and go see some equipment. Upfront cost is only one component and usually not the best measure of value and security for these investments. Changeover, cleaning and maintenance are all major factors to be evaluated.

The focus on new machinery should be set up and changeover time versus actual run speed or cycle time; invest in new equipment with technologies that streamline processes and comprise a smaller footprint; and rent or lease machinery for one-time or short-duration work to accommodate new projects.

The one thing we universally recommend is use of code management software to make line changeovers more efficient and reduce code errors that can lead to scrap and rework. Beyond that, it comes down to employing Lean Manufacturing principles, which in turn requires visibility to line performance data. Printers that know if you are running, how fast and how much you’ve produced can often be a gateway to obtain the necessary data.

See What Executives Say

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How has COVID-19 affected your operations?

Have you dealt with labor changes?

What have you learned over the past year, and what will you do differently in the future?

What are your tips to help in packaging line optimization?

For more on packaging lines, look at “5 Topics to Discuss with Your Packaging Line Intigrator” on our website.

Spotlight illustration by sorbetto / DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images

FEBRUARY 2021

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