After months of lockdown and social distancing due to the pandemic, consumers have been forced to shop differently — reprioritizing what is essential and swapping the checkout line for online shopping more than ever before.
These changing consumer expectations are altering packaging and processing industry priorities. Manufacturers must find ways to increase efficiencies to meet demand and stay competitive in the marketplace. In order to do this, brand owners recognize the urgent need to increase connectivity and broaden the use of automation in their operations, according to the Automation Timeline: The Drive Toward 4.0 Connectivity in Packaging and Processing white paper from PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies.