Health Tech Company Enhances Packaging Quality, Product Introductions | Life Sciences
4/15/2025
RRD Asia’s innovative packaging production solutions lead to systemic improvements and significant cost savings
CHALLENGE
A leader in the therapeutic devices industry sought to optimize their growing packaging needs. The company was experiencing diminished quality with their current packaging supplier and contract manufacturers — resulting in consumers encountering an inconsistent lineup of products on store shelves.
In addition, the company sought:
- Cost reductions to make their packaging buying more efficient while reducing packaging obsolescence
- Increased flexibility in terms of graphics, type, and other elements — without compromising quality
- Dependability and delivery upgrades: More reliable order management, efficient warehousing and fulfillment services, and adaptable delivery arrangements to accommodate the needs of their contract manufacturers
- Speed to market: An efficient new product introduction (NPI) process that was responsive, adaptable, and could be managed at global level with various stakeholders and partners
SOLUTION
To address these challenges, RRD Asia established a global team that would support the company in their endeavors and increase assistance to their contract manufacturers. RRD team members from Asia and the U.S. collaborated with the company to focus on strategy and alignment; development of new product introductions (NPI); order management; forecasting; and artwork and production.
- New product introductions: To facilitate quick decision-making on new product introductions and ensure that projects progressed seamlessly, the RRD Asia global NPI team initiated weekly coordination with key stakeholders across various U.S. locations — supply chain, product owners, packaging design engineers, quality, manufacturing, and others.
- Quality standards: RRD Asia worked closely with the company’s quality, engineering, and sourcing teams — along with their contract manufacturers — to establish acceptable quality standards around production of the packaging and labels.
- In-house qualification: RRD supported testing of multiple types of EVA liner materials and other packaging components. All testing and qualification work was supported by RRD Asia’s in-house test lab, which helped reduce the overall lead-time and improved speed to market.
- Sustainable packaging: RRD Asia was able to reduce the materials footprint and utilize sustainable materials (substrates, inks, etc.) for current programs and the company’s new product introductions.
RESULTS
RRD Asia took a strategic approach to packaging optimization, cost reduction, and effective account management, successfully meeting the company’s goals of improving operational efficiency and flexibility. This proactive collaboration, coupled with innovative packaging production solutions, led to significant cost savings, improved production processes, and additional collaboration opportunities.
Specific results included:
- Streamlined process: RRD enhanced production efficiency by unifying the sleeve material, surface treatment, and structure of the product SBS folding carton box
- Cost saving: A production “gang run” was implemented, enabling the client to combine common materials and utilize larger minimum order quantities to reduce total cost
- Quality standards: Identified and solved a specific quality issue the company was experiencing with their previous print and packaging suppliers — the discoloration of packaging material, which resulted in product staining. RRD Asia helped identify the most effective and economical replacement for the material, preventing the product staining and improving the out-of-box experience for the end customer
- Demand and supply management: Effectively managed stock quantities and delivery schedules, ensuring a smooth transition while maintaining operational efficiency and running change control processes in collaboration with the company’s contract manufacturers
- Program expansion: Completion of new product introductions for more than 300 packaging, labels, and commodity items; met on-time delivery to eight OEMs within just six months