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.

SQF, or Safe Quality Food, is a rigorous certification program in the safe handling of foods for manufacturers and distributors that is recognized all over the world. It’s not new - it’s been around for over 20 years, and is designed to be used in all sectors of the food industry including farming, manufacturing, packaging, warehousing and even food for our pets. This certification minimizes the incidence of unsafe food reaching the market place and involves training a SQF practitioner, possibly contracting a consultant, getting a program written, passing a desk audit and then, at last, passing the on-site certification audit. It takes a good amount of perseverance to get this certificate, but fear not! There are some great benefits to this effort. Here are 5 compelling reasons to implementing an SQF program:

The products you manufacture for consumer purchase must be designed with proper planning and research to provide the most value with the lowest cost of production. This means that the packaging you go to market will require attention to detail in order to gain visibility in the marketplace as well as to convey the value that the product holds. The packaging materials themselves and the visual appeal are vital in grasping consumer’s attention, making the sale, and gaining repeat business. Think more of product packaging as an investment - rather than an added cost.

“Out of control” packaging is a broad brushstroke encompassing many different problems. Product manufacturers deal with an array of packaging issues that can stem from complications with machinery, marketing, shipping, and more. To avoid as many of these pitfalls as possible, brand managers need to have input from their marketing, manufacturing, and engineering teams.

With 2017 merely days away, it's a great time for reflection on the past year and all that has been achieved, and all that we have learned. Exactly 366 days ago, I released the top 7 blogs of 2015, based on popularity. For the end of 2016, I've decided to share the top blog posts that had the most impact all-around. In honor of brevity, I've honed the list down to the top 5 most share-able, most engaging blogs of the year, so please like, comment, and share:

Manufacturers can see increased revenue in a stagnant economy with outsourced fulfillment and contract packagers What are manufacturers of consumer goods doing to grow when the economy seems to be stagnant, at best? Outsourcing. The benefits to outsourced fulfillment and/or packaging include increased revenue and focus on core competencies, as well as decreased labor and overhead expenditure.