PAC BLOG: Top 5 Misconceptions When Working with a Contract Packaging Partner
By: Sean Fox, Marketing and Communications Manager
When considering any contract packaging partner for your business, it’s easy to fall into certain traps of assumption. We’ve all heard the phrase about “assuming” and these same misconceptions can lead to unmet or unrealistic expectations, higher costs or operational disruptions in the contract packaging world. Partnering with someone experienced like Bonded Pac, our contract packaging division here at Bonded Logistics, can become a valuable asset to your business.
In this blog, we’ll break down the top five misconceptions that many have when partnering with a contract packaging provider and how to avoid them.
1. “Contract Packagers Are One-Size-Fits-All”
Many businesses think that any co-packer can handle their packaging needs—after all, logistics is their specialty, right?
Reality: Everyone has its unique set of capabilities, certifications, and equipment. Whether you need temperature-sensitive packaging, retail-ready packaging, or eco-friendly solutions, it’s crucial to thoroughly assess whether a potential partner can meet your specific needs.
How to Approach: Ensure their expertise aligns with your business. Take time to ask detailed questions about their capabilities, experience in your industry, and the types of contract packaging they specialize in. What about value-added services like warehousing and transportation? Ask yourself, do they offer all the flexibility you need for custom solutions?
2. “They’ll Handle Everything”
One of the most common misconceptions is that once you outsource packaging, you can step back and let them handle everything from A to Z. Right? Wrong.
Reality: While most can handle packaging, fulfillment, and distribution, they will need your input on product specifications, packaging designs, and logistics planning. Communication is crucial to ensure the final product meets your standards. A partner like Bonded Pac brings over 125 years of combined experience to help you navigate all the complexities of packaging.
How to Approach: Establish clear expectations and open lines of communication from the start. Set up regular check-ins like QBR’s, define your packaging requirements, and involve your team in key decisions. A successful partnership is one that is built on collaboration—not delegation.
3. “Outsourcing Means Guaranteed Cost Savings”
Ah, yes. That’s why we tackled that topic in our last blog post about the Total Delivered Value because many companies assume (there’s that word again) outsourcing will always result in cost savings.
Reality: The savings you achieve by outsourcing may not always be immediate or as substantial as you’d expect. Additional fees, changes in material costs or last-minute adjustments often push the price higher than anticipated.
How to Approach: Let us help you perform a comprehensive quote before signing anything. Make sure to factor in all potential expenses including materials, storage costs and anything related to changes and/or rush orders. After all, no one likes surprises!
4. “They Can Scale Up Instantly”
As your packaging needs grow or enter seasonal peaks, you might expect your provider to be able to ramp up quickly to meet your demands. However, there are often limitations in terms of space, labor flexibility and equipment, and may not be able to instantly scale as fast as you need.
Reality: There are certain resource constraints, especially during peak periods getting ready for the summer in the winter months or the holidays in the spring months. The sudden spikes in volume can lead to delays, mistakes or worse, a breakdown in quality if a partner is not equipped to handle the increase.
How to Approach: Plan ahead! Discuss your scaling needs well in advance. Here at Bonded, we have the ability to handle unexpected increases in demand. We can certainly clarify that for you and how we do that during high-demand periods. A strong partnership will include flexibility in scaling operations, but only if you’re proactive in communicating your needs. Flexibility and communication are big Core Values of ours.
5. “Quality Will Be the Same or Better”
The last common misconception is that outsourcing will result in the same, or even better, quality than you could achieve in-house. While a contract packager can certainly streamline processes and improve efficiencies, there’s never a guarantee it will meet your brand’s high standards.
Reality: Not all maintain the same level of quality control or have strict ISO policies to follow along with FDA and AIB Certifications. You might quickly find out, albeit it too late, their processes don’t align with your expectations.
How to Approach: Before committing to a long-term contract, request samples, let us conduct test runs and help partner with you to establish clear quality benchmarks. Let us tell you how we conduct regular audits and reviews to ensure your standards are being met. Again, don’t “assume” quality will always meet your expectations.
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Conclusion: Let’s Set the Right Expectations for a Successful Partnership
Partnering with a contract packaging provider like Bonded Pac offers many advantages that go beyond this blog post. However, it’s important to approach the relationship with clear communication and realistic expectations. By understanding these common misconceptions and taking proactive steps to address them, we can foster a successful, long-term partnership that supports your business goals. Click HERE to contact us and learn more today!