Technology is funny. Like the Roman god Janus, the god of duality (among other things), it’s both a boon and a burden. Think about the role it’s played since the pandemic began — without it, business as a whole may have come to a complete standstill as opposed to a near standstill. We’ve able to keep going by doing things like conducting meetings in our home via videoconferencing. At the same time we’ve been conducting meetings in our home via videoconferencing. There’s no more excuse to get away from work, which is sickening. So, it can be both good and bad.

I like to think that the good tends to outweigh the bad, though. For every meeting we can’t weasel out of, technology is helping keep supply chains intact, helping businesses to stay in front of their customers, and helping engineers to collaborate and continue product development. Having done some coverage of the automotive field in the past, seeing what companies like Bosch are doing to use augmented reality to aid in training is impressive.

Technology is also being impressively used in flexible packaging. I had an opportunity in early October to be guided through ProAmpac’s MAKR, a web-based program that lets users design their own pouch from scratch. Press time didn’t allow me to do a full write up in this issue, but keep an eye out for it in December. To tide you over, we’ve included a training video from ProAmpac about MAKR above.

But this is just one example of tech’s use in the industry. We plan to do more on the topic in the months ahead, especially seeing how it’s affected so much of what we do. Will we revolt against holding meetings at home, or is this new norm here to stay? I’d love to get your thoughts and stories about how technology has affected you and your business and what you think the future holds. Reach out to me at teald@bnpmedia.com or via our social media feeds.

Derrick Teal

Content Manager

(248) 227-4727

teald@bnpmedia.com