All of Explore
What should I consider before changing a package?
A short checklist that prevents most of the expensive surprises.
Short answer
Packaging changes fail on the things around the package: the filling line, the handling equipment, the customer's receiving dock and the paperwork. Run through those before comparing formats.
On your side
- Does the filling or packing line handle the new format without modification?
- Can existing handling equipment lift, stack and move it?
- Does it fit the pallet pattern, the racking and the trailer?
- What changes for the operators, and does anything need training?
On the receiving side
- Can the customer receive, store and discharge it?
- Does anything change in how they draw the product down?
- Who handles the empty, and does it need to come back?
Around the product
- Compatibility, barrier and shelf life
- Food contact or regulated-goods status, which changes the whole package specification
- Labelling and identification requirements
- Whether existing approvals or customer specifications reference the current package
How to de-risk it
Trial one lane, one product, one customer. A limited trial exposes handling and receiving issues while they are still cheap to fix.
What to consider
- Line compatibility and any equipment change
- Handling and storage at both ends
- Product compatibility and shelf life
- Regulatory and customer specification references to the current package
- A trial lane before committing
Worth being clear about
- Regulatory, engineering and certification questions belong with qualified specialists. CAQUIN's role is sourcing and commercial support.