Sustainability, re-regionalisation and more agile management. These three megatrends are currently driving the packaging industry. They can be successfully tackled with the help of mobile applications.
The coronavirus crisis has brought huge profits to parts of the packaging industry. However, depending on the severity and duration of the crisis, falling household incomes, the resulting lower demand and financially strapped corporate customers could put packaging manufacturers under pressure, according to the consulting firm McKinsey.
(Image: Parsable)
„Companies that operate more sustainably, drive forward the re-regionalisation of supply chains and strengthen their agility in a targeted manner will be better able to master the challenges ahead.“ Lawrence Whittle, CEO of Parsable
Whittle heads the working group at the World Economic Forum New Generation Manufacturing Leaders. Leading companies there are working on initiatives to make the manufacturing industry more sustainable, more resilient and more inclusive.
Sustainability megatrend
2019 was characterised by the largest global climate protests in history. Sustainability, recycling and environmental issues will have an even greater influence on purchasing decisions in the future. This is also confirmed by a Statista survey, according to which around 90 per cent of German consumers fewer products in plastic packaging and more sustainability through alternative materials.
For food and packaging manufacturers, this means They must switch their machines and systems to biodegradable, recyclable or recycled materials and printing inks and reduce the overall packaging weight. It is equally important to minimise material waste in production. This requires precise and reliable Conversions to the production facilities.
Worker assistance systems such as the Parsable platform for connected work provide valuable support. They guide workers via smartphone, tablet or smart glasses. Supported by digital checklists and video instructions Faultless changeover at the first attempt. Long downtimes and repeated reworking are avoided. If workers use an app to record status data that is linked to sensor data from the machines, shift supervisors can recognise developing problems more quickly and take countermeasures earlier.
Modern assistance systems such as Parsable provide guidance via smartphone, tablet or smart glasses. (Image: Parsable)
„By providing advanced tools for workers, industrial customers can significantly improve energy efficiency and substantially reduce both waste and CO2 emissions,“ confirms Eric Kosmowski, Managing Partner of the Princeville Climate Technology Fund.
Re-regionalisation megatrend
These advantages also apply to re-regionalisation: because the coronavirus lockdowns have massively disrupted international supply chains, many companies are turning to Germany and Europe as a production location or procurement market, This is one of the findings of the „Food & Packaging beyond Corona“ study by the consulting firm Munich Strategy. When reshoring, however, it is not enough to replicate an existing plant in terms of product, processes and equipment. Due to the shortage of skilled labour, staff recruitment and training pose problems - especially if tight deadlines have to be met for the transfer of operations.
Applications for Connected Work help here in several ways, for example by recording the expertise of long-standing employees in digital SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures). New employees receive these in the form of step-by-step instructions on their mobile devices. If they have any questions, they can seek advice via chat or video conference.
„In our work with customers from the packaging industry, we have realised that Training time in new plants can be reduced by up to 40 per cent“, reports Whittle. The state-of-the-art apps also increase the attractiveness of the employer among younger junior employees. At the same time, they help to digitalise paper-based processes and ensure uniform workflows at all production sites.
Agility megatrend
From reacting to interruptions in the supply chain to new hygiene instructions: Companies today have to react faster and more specifically to daily requirements. The packaging industry, which in any case often has to adapt to new product lines and scale up considerably, is under pressure. massive pressure to change.
But it's not just about changing processes. It is also about, to involve all employees - which is made easier by apps for connected work. Especially when changes to the SOPs can be made centrally without the help of the IT department and then sent to all those affected with a single click. They also enable feedback and suggestions for improvement directly from the workplace - complemented by an analysis component for evaluation and measurement. In this way, modern assistance systems such as Parsable also contribute to the continuous improvement of processes.
Whittle is certain: „Technology can directly qualify or retrain workers. It accelerates the Information flow and generates Data insights, that support management in making decisions. This new level of transparency and agility will have lasting effects.“
[infotext icon] Parsable helps industrial companies worldwide to get work done well and correctly at all times. This is because the Connected Worker Platform enables employees to carry out their tasks collaboratively via digital instructions on mobile devices. In addition to completing and recording all steps and actions, they can in real time Ask questions and give feedback so that every process can be quickly analysed and improved. As a result, Parsable provides unprecedented insight into operations and companies receive detailed data about their work processes. Parsable is a member of the World Economic Forum and is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices throughout North America and Europe[/infotext].
