The packaging industry has been undergoing a profound transformation for the past few years. Key trends emerging in the packaging arena are sustainability and agile supply chains. Sustainable packaging solutions are increasingly being sought by all clients, in all categories and markets. Be it governments, retailers, or consumer groups; all are pushing for measurable improvements in this area. One development in that regard is the growing shift from plastic-based packaging towards more eco-friendly packaging. This is not only leading to a drastic reduction in plastic usage but also the use of less packaging material per product, hence more cost and waste efficiency.

As today’s millennial consumers increasingly shop online, they are looking for smarter packaging. They do not want large and heavy packages with acres of graphics; they want the product to be delivered in size appropriate, easy-to-open and dispose of packages that offer greater protection to their valuable purchases.
From the sellers’ and the business’ side of things, on the other hand, there is also a concurrent trend of making the entire logistics supply chain more agile for delivering the packages. Needless to say, the COVID-19 pandemic is only aggravating this demand for more resilient and adaptive supply chains. Thus, organisations are not just looking for sustainable product packaging but also seeking renewed logistics models and systems that reduce transportation costs while improving their end-to-end network performance.

Enter James Ross Consulting (JRC)—the world’s largest independent packaging management specialist. “We are experts on emerging challenges and opportunities in the packaging arena with robust knowledge in a data-driven approach to change management projects,” says Ross Collins, director of JRC. To that end, the company offers focused proprietary software solutions to support its clients with sustainability reporting and end-to-end supply chain optimisation, improving the logistics landscape for global organisations.

Boosting and Streamlining the Supply Chain

At the focal point of JRC’s offerings are its proprietary software tools, PackDevPro (PDP) and @IF. These tools use their modelling and analytical capabilities to analyse client’s bulk data and rapidly assess their SKUs, which are then used to optimise the way packages are palletised and moved along the supply chain. For instance, the tools can propose changes to the way packaging is specified, handled (palletised), how pallets are used in the network, and the impact of any network constraints on cost and supply chain efficiency. To put it simply, these tools can make quick, workable improvements in the ‘route to market’ that drive more value for the client (including packaging, inventory, touches, cost drivers, OTIF fulfilment, and sustainability).

“We believe that pallet/truck optimisation is a direct, empirical, and defendable sustainability gain for our clients. To date, we have delivered US$50MM in direct savings for our clients,” mentions Ross Collins, director of JRC.

Making Sustainability a Priority

In addition to solutions focused on improving the supply chain, JRC has also developed the Greenshare platform, a web-based, independently accredited packaging impact tracking and reporting tool.

With Greenshare, JRC’s clients can track the performance of their packaging and obtain reports on how it impacts each and every market they operate in. This tool enables clients to directly interact with sustainability reports and packaging waste guidance messages, at the point of sale. JRC’s ability to maximise packaging and identify where and how costs can be reduced across the end-to-end supply chain makes this tool stand apart in the logistics arena.

Blazing a “Success” Trail in the Packaging Arena

In its 28 years of operating in the packaging space, JRC has garnered an excellent reputation, thanks to its great network of contacts and a highly experienced staff. The company has been associated with many of the leading companies across multiple sectors and markets, including many of the world’s largest brand owners in FMCG, personal care, health care, food and beverage, and beauty and cosmetics.

We are experts on emerging challenges and opportunities in the packaging arena with robust knowledge in a data-driven approach to change management projects

JRC has also worked as an accredited technical advisor on packaging and sustainability for the UK Government (WRAP) scheme. Not only this, JRC has collaborated with the Carbon Trust (an independent organisation that accelerates the move to a sustainable, low carbon economy), and academic institutions like the Earth Institute of Columbia University to develop reporting metrics and platforms that can withstand external benchmarking and scrutiny. More recently, JRC has worked— and continues to work—with clients developing bespoke tools that help them design, develop, and implement the most sustainable packaging options available in their respective product sector, location, and market.

At this juncture, JRC’s prowess in the packaging arena can be exemplified by a client success story, where one of JRC’s clients had acquired several other companies in a short period of time. Consequently, it caused a lot of disruption and disconnect in their packaging and supply chain management as each of the acquired companies had different capabilities, product technologies, routes to markets, and a dissimilar consumer base. When JRC came into play, it rapidly analysed different parts of their business and created a standardised way of working. JRC built a standard approach as to how they developed secondary packaging, built, palletised, and shipped products across their subsidiaries. The final result? JRC harmonised various elements of their business, delivered structural cohesion, and rendered tremendous cost savings.

Leading the Path to a New Packaging and Logistics Awakening

With many similar success stories under its hood, JRC is undoubtedly making a world of difference in the packaging arena with its global team of experts deployed locally in Europe, the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand.

At the same time, Collins mentions that their diverse initiatives are being further catalysed and remodeled because of the recent COVID-19 pandemic. “Our embedded ways of working were always built on the need to be on-site (all, or at least most of the time). COVID is changing this status-quo, initiating a profound and fundamental reset for us,” says Collins. His company is therefore making the best use of the present scenario to adapt for remote operations. “It will not only be good for our staff and less disruptive for our clients, but it will equally be effective at reducing costs and improving the margins. Most important of all, it will be good for the planet,” concludes Collins.