Greater than three-quarters of survey respondents are centered on productiveness, with value and automation priorities sharing second place.
Herndon, Va.; Might 14, 2025 – Productiveness ranks as the highest precedence amongst surveyed CPGs and trade suppliers, in keeping with the 2025 Embracing Operational Readiness report by PMMI, The Affiliation for Packaging and Processing Applied sciences, the producer of the PACK EXPO portfolio of commerce reveals.
This report summarizes key points, trade insights, and proposals from PMMI’s 2025 High to High Summit, held in February. The summit serves as a platform for OEMs and shopper packaged items (CPG) firms to change views, deal with shared challenges, and collaborate on sensible options.
Greater than three-quarters (78%) of contributors voted for productiveness as their high precedence, adopted by value and automation (each 47%). Development (39%) and workforce (24%) additionally attracted important proportions of the vote. Whereas it’s unsurprising that contributors are centered on productiveness and price, the significance given to automation is attention-grabbing, significantly because it was a key theme of all three distinct, but interconnected phases explored on the High to High 2025 Summit:
Vertical startups
Operator coaching
IT-OT integration
In line with the examine, vertical startups are profitable and achievable by way of clear communication and collaboration between OEMs and finish customers. Contributors offered particular particulars about methods for efficient coaching, equivalent to digital instruments, follow-up assessments, automated programs, tailor-made studying codecs, and digital options that embrace AI-driven troubleshooting, interactive manuals, and augmented actuality.
Operator coaching highlights the necessity to account for various office realities, together with language limitations, various ranges of technical expertise, and excessive turnover charges. Individuals-centric coaching can also be wanted to beat the “shift phenomenon” and decrease efficiency fluctuations throughout completely different shifts.
IT-OT integration explores the complexities of how finish customers and OEMs can work collectively to beat limitations and guarantee technical necessities, cybersecurity measures, and knowledge integration wants are met. By prioritizing real-time knowledge visibility, safe infrastructure, and early stakeholder involvement, organizations can obtain seamless IT-OT integration, future-proof their operations, and keep away from pricey setbacks. Justifying an IT-OT funding stays a key problem. Consequently, CPG firms should stability short-term, tangible advantages, equivalent to value financial savings, decreased downtime, and rapid ROI, with long-term benefits, together with a scalable, future-proof answer that enhances automation, supplies real-time insights, and optimizes manufacturing processes.
“Know-how is taking part in a rising function in all elements of trade,” notes Jorge Izquierdo, vice chairman, market improvement, PMMI. He explains, “Used strategically and safely, it will probably present the means to create extra environment friendly manufacturing. Firms that refine and streamline processes, develop expert employees, and unlock the ability of their IT-OT programs create an surroundings of operational readiness.”
Options for all elements of operational readiness can be found at PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2025 (Sept. 29-Oct. 1; Las Vegas Conference Heart), the premier packaging and processing occasion of the 12 months. Be a part of 35,000 trade professionals from 40+ vertical markets and discover improvements from 2,300 exhibitors throughout 1 million internet sq. ft of exhibit house. Interact with cutting-edge options, take part in over 100 instructional periods, and forge beneficial connections to propel your small business ahead.
Go to packexpolasvegas.com to be taught extra and register.