Since every third or fourth business you bump into is a packaging company, it’s very tempting to solicit quotes and change vendors. In addition to the endless number of packaging companies, packaging products, and packaging design options, there’s also the very natural “grass is greener” feeling that makes you think another packaging supplier could somehow do a better job.
On the other hand, changing packaging suppliers involves quite a bit of risk— after all, your new packaging supplier might be worse! And, even if your packaging requirements are simple and straightforward, there’s sure to be a learning curve for your staff that creates additional costs and causes inefficiency in the near term.
So how do you know, then, whether it’s time for you to find a new packaging supplier? Here are four telltale signs a better option awaits.
1. No Packaging Solutions
Packaging technology, products, and designs are always advancing. What was, say, a state-of-the-art eco-friendly packaging material three years ago might by now have lost its environmental luster. What was five years ago the most efficient process to manufacture your printed boxes might by now have given way to faster, less expensive, and higher quality alternatives. If your packaging supplier is not making you aware of new ways to save money, increase productivity, and improve quality, you run a great risk of falling behind your more dialed-in competitors.
2. You Dread Interaction
SS that the need for communication is ever present. Often on a daily basis, issues need to be discussed, and disagreements need to be resolved. If, for whatever reason, you cringe at the prospect of seeing your supplier, having a phone conversation, or even having to engage in an email or text exchange, this signals deeper problems have risen to the surface. If you’ve tried and failed to overcome relationship issues, it might be best for all parties for you to move on.
3. You’ve Moved Out of the Sweet Spot
Longstanding vendor relationships are wonderful — we love having them with our customers and our suppliers, of course. However, there are times when the reasons you fell in love with your packaging supplier all those years back no longer apply. Business objectives change. Vendor capabilities change, often at the same time customer requirements are changing. It’s just a fact of business life that vendors outgrow customers and customers outgrow vendors. If you find yourself in this situation, or are quickly heading toward it, it is again in the interest of all parties concerned to strongly consider making a supplier change.
4. You’re Sailing on a Sinking Ship
A less pleasant variation on the “sweet spot” situation is one in which your once rock-solid packaging solutions provider is floundering and unlikely to be rescued. Packaging companies, like any other, can work themselves into trouble through bad financial management, inefficient operations, spreading themselves too thin, playing it too close to the vest, bad luck, and a host of other reasons. Relying on a packaging supplier who, with no warning, becomes unable to supply you could create a true catastrophe. You can’t let it happen, so keep yourself informed and alert.
Be a Smart Packaging Solutions Customer!
We hope these four areas of supplier performance are useful for making packaging vendor decisions. You will notice, however, a few things we didn’t mention:
- Changing suppliers because a price is too high.
- Changing because your supplier made a major error.
- Changing because you fell in love with a new and untested product, service, or concept.
While these things matter, they do not in themselves tend to work out as reasons to change suppliers.
With regard to pricing, the packaging market is complex and chaotic. There are always going to be lower prices, and really low prices, more often than not, simply mask hidden costs that you’ll regret incurring.
With regard to major errors, every company makes them. While it’s natural and understandable to want to “get even” or “make somebody pay,” resist the temptation. It’ll only be a matter of time before you’re in the same situation with your next packaging supplier.
With regard to new packaging, while it’s true (as we said in our very first point) that your supplier should be coming to you with new things, you should hesitate to make wholesale changes for the sake of one thing you learned about elsewhere. Look at new packaging solutions aggressively — but always act carefully and consider the whole picture.
Please contact us today for a further discussion on this or any other topic and one of our experienced packaging advisors will be glad to assist!
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https://www.salazarpackaging.com/what-you-dont-know-about-e-commerce-packaging-costs/
https://www.salazarpackaging.com/whats-hot-in-ecommerce-packaging/
