If you are a packaging supplier or service provider, there is a natural tendency to want to execute all aspects of your client’s needs internally. However, that may not be the best choice. In fact, it can be in your best interest to subcontract out certain tasks to boost productivity, improve results, shorten timelines and reduce your financial exposure.

We hope that one or more of the scenarios below may end up motivating you to take a look at your own operation to see how you can improve your output.

Rapid package prototyping

When you are looking at a specific project, you really need to determine from the outset when it makes the most sense to keep something in-house and when it makes sense to hand off. In short, you have to look at which paths will enhance all aspects of the output.

For example, we were in a situation recently where we were working on a bottle development project that required rapid prototype samples of extrusion blow molded bottles. We discussed it internally and determined quickly that it would make more sense to farm this task out to a trusted partner, rather than invest the time and effort internally.

Since we didn’t envision ourselves scaling to offer that service in the near future, it made the most sense to focus on other aspects of the project and subcontract this one out. If the demand for that specific service grows, then we would consider adding that as a part of our core business.