Seize the opportunity to put your packaging data house in order counsels Gartner
Despite rising costs and supply chain volatility, firms can ill-afford to ignore incoming regulation which will impact how they report packaging data.
As tightening sustainability targets cast an impending shadow over the packaging industry, Gartner is urging CPG organisations to grasp this moment to invest in data management tools to ‘improve compliance, increase speed to market and optimise costs.’
The aim of Extended producer responsibility for packaging (EPR) and the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is to make producers like you pay toward the cost of collecting and recycling packaging waste.
To give an idea what this means in practice, one report quotes average prices for glass at 65 euro/tonne, 206 euro/tonne for paper and cardboard and 454 euro/tonne for plastic.
If they are to survive and thrive, businesses must first greatly enhance insights into their report packaging data.
That’s why many firms are turning to innovative software tools to organise their data efficiently—and 4Pack is among them.
Modern software opens a window into your report packaging data
Gartner identifies three strategically important packaging supply chain business trends—namely cost optimisation, technology advancement and risk reduction.
To facilitate this, the latest packaging applications reveal more data insight and transparency than ever before possible.
Cost optimisation
Cost optimisation starts with establishing a centralised data repository as 4Pack does. This has several advantages for example:
- Full and accurate inventory – comprising product information, packaging component data, documents, artwork and digital assets accessible to authorised users wherever they happen to be.
- Traceable, accurate packaging data intelligence – producing reliably consistent product, packaging, component and artwork management information.
- Quality control – that can then be shared via streamlined workflows with internal teams and supply chain partners.
- Greater control and granular oversight – of product launch and packaging development processes simplifies project management and helps produce more informed decisions.
Cost optimisation through software-defined data intelligence supports sustainability goals by tracking material composition, recyclability, and packaging hierarchies—making it easier to report, reduce, and redesign for circularity.
Technology advancement
Technology advancement translates as the digital transformation of packaging operations. This brings numerous benefits including:
- Easier collaboration – by connecting teams across NPD, regulatory, technical, packaging, marketing, supply chain partners and external artwork studios, to enable smarter ways of working.
- Accelerated time to market – for all involved in NPD or EPD planning, management and execution including internal teams, external studios and supply chain partners.
- Greater value and visibility – deriving from shared data and tools for all participants.
- Improved agility – through the ability to evolve and customise processes including extending applicability and scale of use as required.
The transition of packaging from manual to digital replaces fragmented spreadsheets and email trails with structured workflows, audit trails, and automation to truly bring packaging into the digital era.
Risk reduction
Risk reduction through performing the voluntary and regulatory changes needed to deliver sustainable, compliant packaging. Embracing these new procedures enables CPG firms to:
- Shrink error margins – surrounding New Product Development (NPD) and Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) by eliminating disconnections/duplications in data, assets and processes and helping to mitigate against human error.
- Eliminate wasted effort – spent on duplicated, conflicting, redundant work/re-work or repetitions.
- Overcome bottlenecks – no more searching for key assets and information when time is of the essence.
- Avoid financial penalties/reputational damage – resulting from non-compliance.
Fewer risks free up management to spend more time planning future expansion or innovation strategies. Whether it’s expanding into new markets, launching more SKUs, or meeting new regulations software-defined packaging applications provide the clarity to manage complexity with none of the headaches of the past.
Data backbone for CPG brand packaging operations
Packaging decisions are increasingly made collaboratively with input from cross-functional teams and external partners. Think of 4Pack as the data backbone for CPG brands and their packaging operations. We empower you with effective coordination and seamless collaboration across your ecosystem, reducing silos and accelerating time to market.
By ensuring your packaging data is structured, accessible and connected across teams and functions 4Pack gives you the agility to respond rapidly to regulatory updates, supply chain shifts, and innovation opportunities.
- Our various elements enable you to:
- Create a centralised, searchable and auditable packaging repository.
- Integrate packaging with SKU and BOM data via ERP integration.
- Build a master specifications library.
- Share packaging data with internal and partner teams.
- Unlock rapid reporting capabilities
Packaging is the intersection where sustainability meets compliance and brand experience.
To enhance visibility, build control and optimise workflows at this critical point, 4Pack provides you with a holistic single source of truth, helping you to clearly see your onward direction of travel.
Gartner recognises 4Pack as a packaging data leader
For the past four years Gartner has listed us in their packaging related Market Guides. These provide insights into industry trends and vendor comparisons to help decision-makers choose the right solution for their needs:
2024 – Packaging and Product Specification Management
2023 – Labelling and Artwork Management
Light up your data
Growing consumer interest in packaging recycling and sustainability coupled with tighter packaging regulation is driving producers to gain better insights into their packaging data.
As Gartner points out, modern software applications like 4Pack provide you with data intelligence that sheds fresh new light on packaging information across the ecosystem enabling leadership teams to manage complexity without adding chaos.
This clarity of view enables you to accurately manage every process element—from product specifications to artwork—so you can adapt to complexity with confidence.
