Engineers should take initiative to earn place on innovative projects
-- Packaging Digest, 4/1/2010 12:00:00 AM
Envision working on the dynamic, cross-functional team that develops a self-dissolving, dual-chamber, dishwasher detergent package.
Innovative projects like these captivate our passion for packaging, challenge us intellectually and, when successful, reward us on many levels. So it’s no surprise that they are highly desired within packaging departments.
Unfortunately, due to the investment and risk associated with bringing these projects to market, positions on these projects are few and frequently are assigned to seasoned engineers with established records of delivering innovation. So how do the rest of us gain the experience to become one of these seasoned packaging innovation engineers?
Initiative. Yes, initiative separates the packaging engineers who almost exclusively support front-end innovation from those who support brand maintenance and cost improvement.
Create opportunities both within and outside your company to engage in innovative projects regardless of how small your contribution may seem. Then deliver exceptional results each time.
Analyze projects for opportunities to gain added value through innovation. For example, an engineer working on a case redesign project can take the initiative to design a case that’s easy for the brand owner to manufacture, for the retailer to place on the shelf, and for the consumer to recognize the product contained, remove the product from the container and recycle the packaging.
Investigate the packaging’s impact on the entire value chain and include these risks with the benefits when presenting your ideas to management.
Offer to do the non-glamorous portions of an innovative project, such as the background research or to create drawings.
Learn from your peers and especially your suppliers by asking questions.
If packaging is truly your passion, you’ll enjoy networking with other packaging professionals and sharing your packaging-related interests outside of the workplace, too. Every day, note new packaging by taking pictures, collecting samples and discussing them with family, friends and colleagues.
Consider the underlying packaging development concepts and identify the standards of excellence in design and execution implemented. Participate in online forums belonging to IOPP, LinkedIn and Facebook or Packaging Digest. Also, don’t forget to attend and explore trade shows.
Participate in open innovation projects and be prepared to submit your creative solutions to tough packaging problems for companies such as Procter & Gamble or Kraft or take the initiative to volunteer to help a local business or organization.
Being involved in packaging projects shouldn’t really be just a job; it should be a passion. So, lest our days be relegated to the equally important but more-mundane material changes, supplier qualifications, artwork changes or cost improvements, engineers need to take the initiative to make innovation happen.
Profiles in packaging:
“Never say never. If there’s a problem, then there’s a solution, even if it’s not evident today”
Name: Alan Blake
Position: associate director, corporate packaging sustainability and front-end innovation at Procter & Gamble
Almost 28 years ago, Blake began his career at P&G in Europe on the process and product development side of the business. A few years later, he attended a P&G regional meeting where he met a packaging development manager, who would help him discover his talent for packaging.
Armed with a passion for interacting with cross-functional peers, Blake began working on and leading packaging projects that delivered significant growth for P&G.
He soon was given responsibility for P&G’s Fabric Care packaging across Europe, before earning the assignment that would bring him to the U.S.
Blake’s perspective on packaging innovation: “If an innovation provides value to our customers or P&G, then it’s valuable to our company, irrespective of its origin,” he explains. “The great majority of innovations in the world will be created outside of P&G. My role is to identify these innovations and then ensure we develop both our internal and external ideas to maximize their impact for our business, our customers and our consumers. A key part of being innovative is being able to identify and manage the risk associated with the unknown.”
His career advice: “Find a coach, a mentor, someone who understands your strengths and will be an audience for your thoughts,” Blake suggests. “Be open-minded and adapt to an industry. Be entrepreneurial and courageous enough to take every opportunity to build your knowledge.”
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