In many companies packaging is orphaned. Lacking a common platform for development and collaboration, knowledge management, engineering analysis and even database management, packaging departments are frequently not integrated with other enterprise information systems while at the same time being required to feed those systems annually. Unable to clearly articulate their needs to IT managers or gain priority with them, packaging plays second fiddle to what are considered more core functions of product development, manufacturing, marketing and procurement – all this is despite the fact that the impact of packaging decisions on total cost of product is huge. This paper is aimed at helping packaging professionals seeking tools to help clarify the information landscape in which they work so they can build visibility to those impacts.

Reprinted with permission from www.hp.com