Undoubtedly, phrases such as COVID-19, social distancing, essential workers and quarantine represent defining images of the turbulent, challenging year that was 2020.
But perhaps adaptability and agility should be added to that list as well. That’s because nearly every business within the food, pharmaceutical, manufacturing and packaging sectors had to adapt to the suddenly changing business landscape that occurred almost overnight, with the agility to make the necessary decisions quickly and decisively.
Companies have had to deal with regional restrictions that dictated different levels of shutdown from one state to another. This led some to temporarily alter their business model and target a different audience. For many food manufacturers with labor intensive packaging operations, social distancing requirements, coupled with a surging demand or significant change in product mix, posed further challenges to navigate and overcome.
As industries needed to adapt and be agile in 2020, so did Wexxar Bel. We worked closely with channel partners to identify those areas where our customers needed the most assistance in doing business in a pandemic. We looked at how we could recommend solutions and quickly provide the machinery and expertise for customers to be successful.
Our semi-automatic form, pack and seal machines were ideal solutions for those companies looking to provide distancing between people on the packaging line. These systems, such as the BEL 505, 505G3, 505G4, 507 and 5252U semi-automatic case former and case erectors provide a modular, mobile solution that can be moved throughout a facility to accommodate changing social distancing mandates. These systems work with a single operator that can hand-pack and seal at a rate equal to three to four operators, further allowing companies to provide the necessary space between employees for a safer work environment. Knowing that these solutions were in high demand, we increased production to significantly shorten lead times to less than two weeks.
The companies that are staying ahead of the game are the ones that have been able to adapt to the current landscape – ones that are agile enough to go out there and get it done.
Some people are calling this the new normal. While that remains to be seen, our current situation is an environment we all likely will be working in for some time. As 2020 rolls over to the new year, the key to success lies in finding those opportunities and be in position to quickly act upon them. That takes adaptability and agility – two words that will come to define 2021.
For more information on packaging strategies with Wexxar Bel during COVID-19, visit: https://www.wexxar.com/solutions/packaging-during-covid-19/