Pandemic Buying

The Importance of Quality Packaging Equipment and Service Support During a Pandemic

Through the many challenges faced throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the first to affect families was a lack of essential goods as a result of panic buying in grocery stores. Market shelves sat entirely empty as manufacturers worked to meet demand while simultaneously adhering to growing safety measures. As the months went on, cleaning and personal care supplies such as toilet paper, paper towels, hand sanitizer, and bleach wipes remained in short supply. A major inconvenience for most, this shortage left many individuals without the appropriate sanitizing tools needed to keep themselves and their families safe during a time of extreme uncertainty.

As experienced suppliers, we knew that there would be few short-term equipment solutions available to meet the immediate demands of our customers as panic buying ensued. Therefore, our focus was placed upon ensuring that our currently installed base of equipment was running as effectively as possible. Parts and service needs were met in the fastest and safest way possible, and only then did we shift our attention to our supply chain to make sure we were capable of meeting our pre-pandemic obligations on top of the anticipated growing demand. We placed a specific emphasis on supporting our customers through service needs that allowed them to keep their momentum moving forward. In fact, one of the unintended benefits that have resulted from the pandemic is an overall increased comfort with the use of technology in non-traditional ways. Working together virtually, meeting through video conferences, and accepting machines through video FAT has allowed us to stay connected to our customers in a larger and more collaborative, cross-functional way than ever previously imagined. As a forward-thinking and technically advanced company, we had previously invested heavily in a technology infrastructure that allowed us to easily transition to a virtual working environment for most of our business. The use of technology and video tools allowed us to provide our customers with the support they needed on and off the production floor.

However, our greatest support starts with our machines. The quality of packing equipment has a primary role in maintaining steady production practices and the term "you get what you paid for" can have a serious impact on not just your business, but the supply chain as a whole. Equipment of even slightly lesser quality can be appealing because of their lower costs, better short-term ROI, and shorter wait times for delivery and installation compared to higher quality equipment with more expensive upfront costs. However, when considering suppliers, manufactures have a responsibility to choose suppliers with proven track records. Lower-quality equipment bears more problems in the long-term when accounting for part failure, routine maintenance, frequent realignments, and less through-put. At R. A Jones, we have a machine that was built in the 1960s and is still operating today, proving that high-quality equipment is worth the investment. Our machines last longer, require less maintenance and adjustments, and are built to run continuously for longer periods of time so that our customers can see a return on their investments for years to come. Throughout the pandemic, our steady customer service and demonstrated performance enabled our customers to be confident that the equipment we had provided them as they worked to keep up with demand.

R. A Jones' machine flexibility is a key contributing element in our company's prolonged success that has served us throughout the pandemic. We design our equipment for a long lifecycle with an ability to accommodate a variety of sizes and packaging types quickly and cost-effectively to account for changing styles and demands. This allows our customers to quickly adapt to their changing requirements without additional capital investments. Additionally, we focus on machines that can run continuously for long periods of time because machines that do not shut down provide less stress for the operators. They can then focus their efforts on changeovers or other equipment while the machine is producing. When manufacturers struggle to meet demand, they must have access to equipment that can reliably run for extended production times.

R. A Jones is dedicated to providing high-end service that helps our customers improve their production lines and keep up with the growing demands of the supply chain. If you are a manufacturer and would like to work with a proven packaging equipment and service provider for multiple industries, fill out the form below or contact a representative from our team at info@rajones.com.

 

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