3 Benefits of Technology for Contract Packer Shop Floors

8 minute read

Contract packers face a variety of challenges on the shop floor every day, whether it’s enforcing product quality control on the line; managing last-minute order changes from customers; or ensuring a high level of service for long-term business success.

To discuss these shop floor issues and how technology can address them, I had the privilege of sitting down (virtually!) with two leading contract packers and longtime Nulogy customers in the UK: Michael Briggs, Managing Director of Marsden Packaging in Blackburn; and Gavin Withers, Director of the Keswick Enterprises Group, which owns SGL Co-Packing Ltd. and Assembly & Packaging Services Ltd. (aps).

The live webinar discussion delved into how technology has enabled Marsden Packaging and SGL Co-Packing to address long-standing operational issues, which in turn helped them capitalise on new business opportunities in the volatile contract packing market. I’ve distilled insights from the webinar into three key ways that technology—specifically, Nulogy’s platform—has aided our co-packing customers:

Enforce Quality Control

Quality control continues to be a high-priority issue for contract packers’ FMCG brand customers. As brands continue to outsource their production to specialised contract packers and manufacturers, these brands want to know that their products are being created and packaged at the same standard as if they were fulfilled internally.

“When we work with customers in the pharma sector, reliance on traceability information is even greater than food traceability. Nulogy can prevent the wrong batch being brought to the line, as opposed to manual systems where mistakes can be made. When we bring in independent auditors, they are very impressed with the level of detail that we can provide through the system.”
Michael Briggs, Marsden Packaging

Unlike manual quality control processes, a digital solution can fulfill the real-time traceability requirements that brand customers will expect, by frictionlessly tracking the consumption of lot codes and expiry dates for each pallet produced, and enabling comprehensive, lightning-fast responses to customer audits and recalls.

“We’ve had favourable comments from customers—including large FMCG multinationals—coming in and being very impressed at how easy it is for us to leverage Nulogy to conduct recalls and product holds, as well as identify stock locations and visibility.”
Gavin Withers, Keswick Enterprises Group

Unearth the Benefits of Real-Time Data

During the webinar, Gavin Withers aptly described the striking shift to real-time production data much like seeing fluid flow through the shop floor: “The live recording of production and quality is happening all the time so the system is permanently up to date,” he observed.

“We originally had various systems that didn’t talk to each other and were very inefficient, and those problems spread to the warehouse and factory floor. Finding Nulogy was a breath of fresh air, as it became a one-stop shop for our WMS, production, and quality all in one talking to each other. Nulogy is a great fit.”
Michael Briggs, Marsden Packaging

This constant flow of automated production data not only reduces the chance of errors during the production process, but also offers brand customers a reliable source of real-time information into their order statuses—a powerful enabler of trust that is key to strengthening long-term supplier-customer relationships.

A digitised shop floor can also realise faster line performance insights by digitally monitoring real-time production performance and tracking unexpected downtime, as well as being able to quickly compare the expected costs versus actual costs without needing to manually compile information.

Offer Superior Service to Customers

Enforcing quality control and optimising workflows with real-time data have great shop floor benefits, but both lead to the third, and perhaps most far-reaching benefit: vastly improved service leading to stronger relationships with brand customers. Purpose-built co-packing software can create a strong operational workflow that demonstrates to brand customers that you, as a co-packer, offer superior processes and services compared to the rest of the competition.

“As a co-packer at heart, the key is to change quickly with your customers and their order demands. Your IT infrastructure should enable you to move quickly and should never slow you down.”
Gavin Withers, Keswick Enterprises Group

Through a digitised shop floor, contract packers can demonstrate rock-solid production workflows, an airtight quality control process, and a strong business foundation prioritising a growth mindset. These characteristics are what FMCG brands are seeking in their external supply chain partners today, and in seeing them, will be more confident in bringing you a greater share of business.

“Anybody who is seriously thinking of digitising their operations will find a great partner in Nulogy. Nulogy has helped us massively.”
Michael Briggs, Marsden Packaging

A purpose-built system such as Nulogy offers both the shop floor efficiencies to improve speed and profitability, as well as the long-term infrastructure to stay ahead of the pack when it comes to winning new business from brands.

Watch the full webinar for additional insights, or contact us about how Nulogy can take your operation to the next level.