Page 11 - Automated issue 14 - Maintenance matters

MAINTENANCE MATTERS
60 SECOND START-UP
Packhelp
Interview with Wojciech Sadowski, CEO.
Can you give me a brief overview of Packhelp?
In a previous role, I was asked by a customer to recommend a custom packaging company as they were having difficulty finding a supplier. This is because typically, packaging companies focussed on big businesses, as it was only profitable to manufacture in large quantities.
The customer’s question identified the need for custom packaging for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). On this basis, the company was founded by six Polish team members, all passionate about changing the packaging industry.
After two years of development Packhelp was launched, offering custom packaging across Europe in volumes as small as 30 – a stark contrast to the industry standard of around 1,000.
By developing an innovative and efficient software platform, Packhelp offers low-volume custom packaging in a way that has never been possible before.
What would you say is the biggest innovation Packhelp brings to the market?
For the first time, custom packaging is easy to order, inexpensive and as quick as buying a book from Amazon. Because of Packhelp’s automation process, smaller orders are aggregated into batches of large ones, sorting by colour, material and size. This allows them to be manufactured efficiently and at a low cost.
The customer uses an editor tool in their web browser to customise their box, which is manufactured in seven days at a competitive price. It also offers an augmented reality view, so that th customer can visualise their order in their business.
The concept is incredibly disruptive – prior to Packhelp none of this was possible. Our main innovation is therefore not just in the technology, but also the customer’s experience.
What is the greatest challenge Packhelp faced and how did you overcome it?
Our greatest challenge was to understand the intricacies of the packaging industry. It was a steep learning curve entering a new sector and understanding how packaging works from an operational perspective.
To begin with, it was challenging to find likeminded production partners, ready to adapt to the digital world. Packhelp is lucky to have such an experienced founding team, which worked together to gain the industry knowledge needed to convince partners that it is the right time for change.
How do your products and services relate to the growing use of automation?
Printing is becoming digital, but to be able to do this fully, companies need an efficient process and a streamlined supply chain. Automation is exactly what is needed to do that.
In a new, digital world, companies can automate customer acquisition and relationship management to reduce costs and improve digitalisation. Automation and artificial intelligence will be crucial technologies in digitalising the packaging industry. We need technology to bring packaging into the Industry 4.0 era. Packhelp wants to be the one to bring this to the market.
https://packhelp.com
www.euautomation.com
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