We have a lot of digital consumer platforms with no name, competitiveness or portfolio limitations. Previous customer feedback, customization, and targeted advertisements attract us, showing us ads for items we’ve checked out on other sites or our mobile devices. Items won’t be the most cost-effective, but the price isn’t the most factor we’re using the digital platform; the simplicity and ease of shopping for items we’d like, only one click away.
Why should that be different when purchasing products for businesses? For years, we’ve been running our companies via fax, e-mail, computer, and now technology is shifting the speed of lightning. Companies are investing massive sums of capital in digital transformation, but often the outcome is just something. By making our systems more comfortable and failing to learn of new ways of doing business, we are restricting our opportunity to unlock the marketplace facility.
Almost 153,000 packaging firms in the US are medium-sized, also family-owned. These businesses usually do business as they’ve already known; they purchase and sell and perhaps offer their own services. Relationships depend on the subject of personalities and handshakes.
You believe that these organizations are immune to emerging technology and trends, but the other is that. Trends are not untouched by you, you are pressured by your manufacturers, or even by your clients, to conform to modern digital norms. The new generation plays a serious role here, since they do not embrace the complex way businesses do business effectively, many of them are disappointed that progress debates are confined to front-end systems, instead of looking at thought aspects that make it tough for owners and workers.
Looking closely at the standard group of customers within the packaging industry, all of them buy goods from manufacturers worldwide. Each supplier has its own processes or tools, starting from being harmonized or adopting industry standards. Procurement can be a time-consuming and complicated operation. Limited ability to consider the client, even though the account is long and mature, is turned into a dissatisfied customer. Without a rock-solid customer satisfaction procedure, how can you possibly know that the customer is still loyal?
While automated processes may be a leading trend in the packaging industry, there is still a long way to go. With automation, businesses will definitely reduce efforts and improve productivity. But would that be the only main output parameter (KPI) that counts? For all the problems and prospects facing the market, we are sure that everything needs to be accomplished.
An autonomous marketplace is unique from a corporate e-commerce or ecosystem, and understanding of discrepancies is essential to the willingness of both sides to negotiate about equivalent items and to balance preferences and contact with consumers, sellers and value chains.
While a corporate platform is typically owned by a producer, an autonomous platform is run independently of a producer. In the stand-alone line, the competitors could be right next to you, selling the very same goods at varying prices. During a business, you pick who or what’s next to you, but you might still compete to have complementary goods to your site, so your competitor won’t want to bring your clients to you and risk losing them to you. So, while you’re going to do “business as usual” on a stand-alone platform, you’re always going to really have to handle elevated consumer demands.
Another model is that the ecosystem offering services to help clients get the most out of the service by offering extra third-party services such as shipping, financing, supply chain services, and so on.
Like any change, no matter how necessary or good it may be, it carries risks. Transparency is key, prices and availability can not be hidden. What sounds unsteady could become the next generation of your business. The services cost money, and if you can offer these kinds of services, why don’t you take a better slice? We remember a company selling books without ever owning them. This story is also possible in packaging.
Sergei Ciachir is a Startup and digital evangelist, enjoys putting disruptive technology in the hands of millions. strong bias for upending stodgy old industries.
He is an Experienced manager and serial entrepreneur in the field of packaging, printing processing and circular economy.
