7 functions of smart packaging

"Over the course of the last decade, the role of packaging has evolved from merely securing goods and facilitating transportation, to acting as a differentiating factor for brands. Brand owners are aggressively investing in packaging with a key focus on sustainability, premiumisation and customisation," the report reveals.

FMI’s industry survey reports that smart packaging is on the increase thanks to a large amount of information being communicated and the reliability of protective packaging systems. Additionally, the cross-industry focus to prevent product tampering and curb counterfeiting means that smart packaging offers promising growth prospects, market opportunities and product development in the foreseeable future.

FMI lists the seven functions of smart packaging as:

Agility

It optimises supply chain processes, including project planning and inventory management.

Authenticity

It ensures product authentication, source and production quality as promised to customers.

Interaction

It communicates and interacts with consumers to instruct and inform them about products and brands with digital platforms.

Security

It defends against product theft and unauthorised access to protect product exposure, distribution and use.

Usage

It makes product use easier during the delivery and disposal process and for a better understanding of customer usage behaviour.

Accessibility

It provides seamless ordering, restocking and returning to users.

Traceability

It enables exact product location throughout the production and distribution cycle.

To see how Pyrotec keeps abreast smart packaging trends, visit www.pyrotec.co.za.