Great packaging is a must for anyone producing physical goods. It tells your customers about your company, your product, and what you stand for. Not only do you have to get creative with your packaging, you need to attract your customers and get them excited to buy. When it comes to packaging food, however, there are even more things to consider.

2018 is right around the corner, and as the leaves begin to change color, retail brands and consumer goods manufacturers, Packaging Designers and Engineers are gearing up for what changes are to come, and what changes they can bring in their respective packaging worlds in the coming year.

DOWNTIME.. It's the bane of any busy manufacturing or distribution floor, and it impacts more than just time. It often comes down to how well you maintain your packaging machinery, aside from the occasional fluke machinery issue.

If you have a start up business in retail and consumer goods markets, you have plenty of hurdles to overcome as you get your product off the ground. According to an article from Fortune.com and featured by Forbes, 90% of start ups fail. The reasons so many fail are varied and range anywhere from lack of need in the market, lack of funds, the wrong team, or simply strong(er) competition; one way to keep your business on the right track is finding the ideal product packaging, processes, suppliers that will help guide your business and your product launch to success.

The last thing that you want to worry about is your product leaving your business or facility and ending up at it’s destination damaged or completely destroyed. Unfortunately this isn't a rare occurence. No matter if it's your fault due to packaging issues or someone elses as it's in handled transit, it's a representation of your product and brand to the person or business receiving it. In fact, pallet loads can even be turned away at the distribution center, costing thousands for one unit. This can not only cause significant delays in delivery, but also potential damage to your business relationships. When shipping damage occurs you then have to ship out a new product to replace the damaged goods, which can end up costly for your business . The process itself of even looking into where the damage occured or who is liable can be grueling in itself. Additionally, figuring out if the cost will be covered by the carrier or damager and whether they have the insurance to cover it can be a whole other issue in itself. Even if the third party has the insurance to cover it, damaged goods claims can take a bit of time and in most cases, it may be easier to take on the cost yourself for the time spent on monitoring the claim or waiting.

As the Manager or Supervisor in charge of manufacturing and production floors, your goals for increased productivity and lower costs are almost always at the top of the priorities list. According to several voices across the web, freight and labor costs as well as inventory control are the main contributors to lower productivity and increasing costs. Not mentioned enough is how to impact these numbers, or where to begin. By reviewing your packaging process and your overall production line, you can find several ways reduce your total cost of packaging and impact your labor numbers while improving efficiency. Here are the top seven ways that packaging can positively impact these numbers.