What’s a Co-Packer?

Handling different aspects of production can be quite burdensome. Though some companies handle every aspect from research to packaging, it is not the case for many others. Every aspect requires adequate attention to give the product the well-rounded promise of perfection. Packaging is an essential aspect that requires aesthetic and special touches. As much as the packaging has to be attractive, it has to be durable.

In the light of this, packaging is mostly outsourced to a contract packager. A contract packager or a co-packer is a company that specializes in packages products for manufacturers and other clients. Products packaged range from liquids to solid, grains, etc.

Ways you can successfully work with a co-parker will be discussed below.

Company that packages product for its clients

A co-parker has a production line dedicated for packaging and labeling. They work to incorporate the package design and labeling on the package. They are mostly into the packaging business and their clients are product manufacturers, suppliers who work new packaging, and those who require packaging for their product but focus on product manufacturing alone.

It makes a lot of sense to have a company who works solely on packaging as they get to focus on how to give the product the best presentation they can. The co-packer’s team will comprise innovative designers and experts in consumer psychology. They know how to present the product in a way that will capture the consumer’s attention. For a producer new to the market, they can be easily approached to learn how to best position the product for customers to appreciate.

As a contract company, it is cheaper to hire them for packaging projects as they come than when there is a specialized production section designed to work on packaging.

Understand why you want to work with a co-packer

You can’t just decide to work with a co-packer, there must be a reason you want to venture into the business relationship. Do you want to work with a co-parker because you believe they are better at designing and can get the job done more beautifully? You may want to work with a co-parker because you don’t have the adequate facilities to package your own products. It can also be because you are new to the market and a co-parker has gathered months or years of experience working with clients and best knows how to appeal to consumer’s emotions.

A lot of reasons can be tabled for the business relationship. As can be clearly seen, the reasons are different. The relationship can be a short term or a long term relationship. It could be a onetime relationship – in the sense that the production capacity of a manufacturer may not be able to cater for an urgently needed production. Understand the reason and the duration of the contract.

Learn the manufacturing process

Production is being carried out for your product packaging; learn how the manufacturing works. Knowledge can only give you power, it can’t take it. Learn how fast the process is and see how you can meet deadline for supplies and contracts. Also, learning the manufacturing process will make you research into better ways of packaging as you interests will inevitably grow in that line. As a business owner, you should know at least little about everything connected to the production and marketing of your product.

Get the necessary paperwork

It is a contract – a business relationship; paperwork matters. All the agreements, modifications, vouchers, receipt, official correspondence must be carefully secured. This is because when issues arise, there is always something for you to fall on as the evidence of an agreement, concession, discount, tax compliance, etc.

The necessary paperwork for a business relationship must be well documented. You are a product manufacturer dealing with a co-packer; your product is readily waiting for the delivery of packaging; anything can arise. More, the design to your packaging must be copyrighted. The design is intellectual property and the possibility of passing off by another manufacturer cannot be ruled out. Your paperwork will be your evidence and your strong point when issues arise.

Engage with someone who knows product development

Product development covers the creation of products with new or different features to offer new or additional benefits to the customer. You may have a new product or wish to rebrand an existing one. Product development aims at the reformation of a product to give consumers more satisfaction from the product. It also deals with the formation of an entirely need product. This new product may be from one which is no longer existent but it has been reproduced to look new.

Having someone who knows product development oversee the work of a co-packer on your packaging is a lot beneficial. This is a professional service that comes with its own benefits of expertise and experience.

Provide as much details as possible to co-packers

This team works on the presentation of your product; you don’t want to starve them of essential information. Your product packaging needs to contain required information and the advertisement. If the co-parker lacks adequate information about your brand, getting you a suitable design might be difficult.

Also, as you update brand information, new features, newer logos, ensure that these are also changed with the co-parker to avoid waste of production resources.

Engaging a co-parker is highly beneficial for small business as they can always outsource the packaging aspect and develop at a fast pace. They don’t have to put a lot of money in the setting up of factories to produce packaging. The money could be better invested. The benefits that come with outsourcing aspects of production are numerous. Everyone gets to focus on a particular task and do the best on it.

In conclusion, a co-parker does the job better because that is all he has to do. Supply the co-parker with all relevant information and get a product development specialist on board. Don’t joke with paperwork as they may save you a lot of legal troubles.

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