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Brian Pankratz

~ Let's Talk Packaging

Brian Pankratz

Category Archives: Quality

**Series Finale** “Buyers Guide to Packaging” – Week 9: Are You Impressionable?

14 Sunday Oct 2012

Posted by Brian Pankratz in Info for Buyers, Packaging Design, Quality

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brian pankratz, brianjpankratz, buyer, buyers, Buyers Guide, co-packing, cost reduction, cost savings, Design, designs, Display Pack, Innovation, Marketing, New packaging designs, packaging, packaging and containers, packaging assembly, packaging companies, packaging design, Packaging solutions, packaging supplier, pankratz, printing, product development, Product Packaging, purchasing, Quality, single source, sustainability, thermoforming

If you have been following the “Buyers Guide to Packaging” series from the beginning, I hope you have learned some valuable information that will help you be more successful.  I invite you to continue to follow along each week as I continue to uncover new subjects that help you to understand the packaging industry. Don’t forget to subscribe at www.brianpankratz, to have each week sent directly to your inbox.

One of My Favorites:
One of my favorite movies is “Good Will Hunting.”  There is a scene in this movie that’s absolutely awesome.  In a previous scene, Will Hunting (Matt Damon) talks bad about a painting that his psychiatrist, Sean Maguire (Robin Williams) painted.  Later in the movie, Robin Williams meets Matt Damon on a park bench and Robin Williams returns the favor speaking directly into the heart of Matt Damon.

Although Matt Damon is considered a genius on many levels, Robin Williams asks him if he has ever been inside the Sistine Chapel, or knows what it smells like when you walk in the door, or what it’s like to stand and look up at the magnificent painting with your own eyes.  He then continues to ask him if he knows what it’s like to wake up next to a woman and feel true happiness.

Although Matt Damon understands what he has read and been told, he lacks the first-hand knowledge that you can only get by actually being somewhere.  This specifically goes for your suppliers as well.  In order to get a true understanding of your supply base, you need to take the time and make the visit.

What Can You Learn?
Yes, we are all busy, however, by taking the time to visit your suppliers, you can learn a great deal about them.  If you are new to the industry, it is good to spend time with your suppliers to get an understanding of how each manufacturing process works.  If you have been in industry a while, then put your experience to work to determine if your supplier is operating to meet or exceed your expectations.

Tips for Your Visit
I want to equip you with some questions to answer during your visit.  The answers to these questions will help determine how effective the supplier is:

–  What capabilities does the supplier have?
It is good to use suppliers that can be utilized for many different disciplines.  Suppliers that have more capabilities can cut down on the number of suppliers needed.

–  Who else does the supplier currently work with? How long?
It is important to know who the supplier’s customer base is and how long they have been working together.  It is also important to know who the supplier worked with previously and why they are not working with them any more.  Good suppliers should have reputable sources that they work with.  My company creates packaging solutions for nine out of the top 20 companies on the Fortune 500 list.  We couldn’t do that if our organization was riddled with quality issues and a lack of ability to perform!

–  What Strengths and Weaknesses Are Visible?
Cleanliness, lighting, clutter, clear labels on materials, good work/product flow, etc., are all areas to look for.   One of my favorite questions to ask someone who is manufacturing product is…“how do you know you are making acceptable product?”  If the operator cannot answer this question…beware!

–  Ask Questions!
When I give tours of our facility, I don’t expect our customers to understand all the details of what we do.  I would rather them ask questions so they can gain a full understanding of our operation.  Don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions.  It is the ability to understand the operation that will give you the knowledge to be a better buyer.

Yes, visiting suppliers takes time, energy, and money for travel.  Ensure that you are working with good suppliers, not by hearing about them, but by visiting them.  Walk the floor and create a learning experience to enhance your knowledge on how to better serve your company and your products.

If you would like more information about Mercury Plastics new products or are someone looking for packaging solutions and want to learn more about the packaging industry, contact Brian – bpankratz@mercuryplasticsinc.com.

Don’t miss a week! Sign-up today at http://www.brianpankratz.com to get Next Week’s Topic:  “Don’t Waste a Holiday!  Holiday Packaging Ideas” sent directly to your email.

5 Things You Should Never Do In Packaging

11 Saturday Aug 2012

Posted by Brian Pankratz in Marketing, Packaging Design, Quality

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advertising, Design, Display Pack, environment, environmentally false claims, New packaging designs, packaging, packaging design, Packaging solutions, pankratz, patents, product development, product launch, Quality, sustainability, thermoforming

We all have a list of things that we should do…but what about a list of things that we should never do?  Chances are that if you have done even one of the items listed below, you regret it today.

Facing the Facts:
Let’s face the facts…we are all busy, right?  Some companies are understaffed, overworked, and lack the tools to do the job correctly.  New products and packaging need to be developed and there just isn’t enough time in the day to get it all done.  Whether your budget isn’t big enough or you just don’t have enough time, cutting corners could lead to an unexplainable disaster.

The  5:
I am sure that if I took a poll of the general packaging community and asked the question, “What things should you never do in packaging,” I would get a wide variety of answers.  But, after all the answers were sorted, we would have some common themes that would be similar.

Here are 5 things you should never do in packaging:

    1. Make environmentally false claims on your packaging.
    2. Never ship product you know is bad.
    3. Never copy packaging without understanding if there are patents involved with  the current design.
    4. Skip valuable steps like ship tests to meet launch dates.
    5. Make material changes without informing your customer.

After reading the list, a high percentage of us will agree that the risk is not worth any short-term gain that is achieved by making an unethical decision.  Making the wrong decision can affect you personally, your company’s reputation, and the industry as a whole.

Sometimes, knowing what not to do is just as important as knowing what to do, and can certainly keep you out of imminent danger for your product and your career in packaging.

New Series Starting Next Week!
Next week I will be starting a weekly series called, “Buyers Guide to Packaging.”  Subscribe at http://www.brianpankratz.com to get it delivered directly to your email each week.

Retailers Were Asked To Pull Product From Their Shelves – Is Yours Next?

13 Friday Jul 2012

Posted by Brian Pankratz in Packaging Design, Quality, Sustainability

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Design, designs, Display Pack, Innovation, New packaging designs, packaging, packaging companies, packaging design, Packaging solutions, pankratz, printing, product development, PVC, single source, sustainability, technology, thermoforming

The Shocking News First:
In June of 2012, Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse (TPCH) released their “2012 Assessment of Heavy Metals in Packaging: A Focus on Flexible PVC from Discount Retail Chain Stores”.  The samples were focused in the nineteen U.S. States that have laws prohibiting the sale or distribution of packaging containing intentionally added cadmium, lead, mercury, and hexavalent chromium.  Although the findings for heavy metals were down from the 2009 report, flexible PVC is still failing at a rate of 15-39% of tested imported packaging.  The category of “toys, games, and crafts” had the highest fail rate of 39% of total packages tested for restricted heavy metals.

After Testing:
The retail chains where heavy metals were found in their packaging were contacted and asked to remove the product from their shelves and to conduct corrective action measures to eliminate this packaging.  With fail rates of fifteen to thirty-nine percent, we have to wonder how much is currently on the shelf that wasn’t tested and still remains on a peg hook today.

What to Watch For:
It amazes me how the U.S. continues to struggle with imported goods containing toxic heavy metals.  According to Patricia Dillon, Program Manager at TPCH, the products to watch out for are those that are not packaged in the U.S.  Flexible PVC and inks/colorants dominated the non-compliant packaging issues.

Now What?
The best way manufacturers can protect themselves is to know their supplier and where they get their materials.  Mercury Plastics, Inc. only uses materials that comply with all specifications for heavy metals and additionally strives to design the most sustainable packaging solutions for our customers.  Partnering with innovative U.S. suppliers that certify their materials, as Mercury Plastics does, will help to eliminate costly recalls as well as protect the name and integrity of your product.

To read the full report from the TPCH, Click Here.

For further information on how you can be protected from imported packaging containing toxic heavy metals, contact Brian Pankratz at Mercury Plastics, Inc. (bpankratz@mercuryplasticsinc.com)

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– Who Defines Quality For Your Product –

06 Friday Jul 2012

Posted by Brian Pankratz in Consumer Satisfaction, Marketing, Packaging Design, Product Development, Quality

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advertising, assembly, co-packing, cost reduction, Design, designs, Innovation, Marketing, New packaging designs, new product, packaging, packaging assembly, packaging companies, packaging design, Packaging solutions, pankratz, printing, product development, Product Packaging, Quality, single source, technology, thermoforming

What does it mean to have good quality? 

The answer to this question will be different depending on who you ask, but whose opinion really matters anyways?  And why is it important to define quality for each individual part or product you manufacture?

Before I go further, I want to make it clear that the customer defines the word, “Quality.”

Know the Expectations:
The quality specifications should be clear in the initial quote phase and should carry through to production.  Knowing what the customer’s expectations are for their packaging is important.  Using a higher grade material when not needed can cost the customer significantly more money than expected.  Don’t assume!

Know Your Materials and Process:
Knowing the capabilities of your materials and process is key to understanding what specifications need to be defined with the customer.  Since there is a clarity difference between utility grade RPET and virgin PET, which one do they need?  What type of quality is being requested?  Is a spot color being expected for their company logo and you are running 4 color process in your printing operation?  Know what your materials and processes are capable of and define the variables that exist.

Agree on the Criteria:
Once the variables are identified, agreed upon standards need to be set.  For printing, it is important to get light/dark standards.  For thermoforming, it is important to agree upon how many imperfections are allowed in the plastic.  For contract packaging, you need to agree on the appearance of the finished product.

Unfortunately, many companies have scrapped acceptable parts and have also sent inferior product to the customer only to find out that their views of “Quality”, didn’t match.

For further information on creating quality packaging, contact Brian Pankratz at Mercury Plastics, Inc. (bpankratz@mercuryplasticsinc.com)

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Mercury Plastics, Inc

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