Letter from the IoPP Director of Education

LETTER FROM THE IoPP DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION

Are You Prepared to Adapt to the ‘New Normal?”

In recent weeks, I’ve talked with IoPP members and read the perspectives of a few strategic thinkers. Some ideas are emerging for where things may be heading in packaging as we slowly work our way back toward a “new normal.” Here are several thoughts on how business will evolve for packaging professionals:

• Production agility will be paramount, and you need to understand what your customers want now more than ever. Consider snack foods—some manufacturers are seeing a surge in demand for single-use packaging while others, catering to families isolating during the pandemic, are prioritizing biggerpack and multipack formats. Both require different packaging and production line considerations. Many consumers will prioritize product availability over brand loyalty, as they did during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. That will place a premium on packaging running efficiently on production lines, with minimal but well-planned downtime. When was the last time you analyzed the financial impacts of your packaging’s changeover time on your packaging line? Companies will need to assess how their business has changed since the onset of COVID19. An audit and risk assessment, for example, may point to needed changes in suppliers and alternative manufacturing sites. If so, what are the packaging ramifications?

The coming times offer great challenges—but they also put us at the doorstep of an emerging era promising great opportunities for innovation. The winners will be manufacturers that understand the deeper truths about how our healthcare challenges are affecting their consumers’ lives—and how their brands can help. They will have answers for supply chain disruption and packaging materials sourcing issues.

It has never been more important than now to know your consumer, and to keenly understand considerations such as your packaging options and what different packaging formats and materials do in production. IoPP’s training programs and our PackChat networking community app can lend a hand on the latter part. How can IoPP help you succeed?

Best Regards,

Jim George

Director of Education Institute of Packaging Professionals

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