Quality Management Series Part 2: The Essentials of Stock Packaging and Supply Chain Management

Welcome to the second of TricorBraun’s two-part series on quality. In part one of TricorBraun’s blog series, we discussed the importance of quality management with custom packaging. Part two explains how stock packaging quality protocols are followed at every step in our supply chain.

Whether for stock or custom packaging, an optimized supply chain is critical for brands —from development to distribution —because it minimizes your bottom-line costs. It also ensures a functional package delivery to consumers without damaging product integrity, a key factor in driving customer satisfaction. 

Regarding stock packaging, brands typically provide their own quality specifications to suppliers to fulfill their needs since bottles and caps are available in standardized sizes and styles. Yet there may be other functional stock packaging requirements that require attention and care by the vendors to avoid problems in the supply chain. For example, top load requirements exist to ensure a bottle is strong enough to withstand filling, capping, and handling in a secondary package during shipping and storage.

In addition, AQLs (Acceptable Quality Limits) are standards that brands should establish with their suppliers to determine the maximum level of faults acceptable in a sample of a manufactured product for the entire batch to be accepted. If the number of faults exceeds the AQLs, the entire batch is rejected.

Therefore, it’s critical for brands to choose the right vendors to hold themselves accountable to ensure high-quality management standards in the supply chain.

TricorBraun: An Advocate for Quality Accountability

When brands partner with TricorBraun, they engage a true advocate in the packaging industry throughout the stock packaging and supply chain journey because TricorBraun holds all its vendors accountable for impeccable quality standards.

Once TricorBraun’s packaging consultants thoroughly understand a brand’s packaging requirements —how the package looks, performs, is transported, and how the customer uses it— they will determine the best supplier in our network fit for sourcing. Next, TricorBraun liaisons between its customers and suppliers to ensure upfront that both have mutually agreed-upon protocols to produce an optimal packaging solution.

“Quality is at the center of our methodology, so we’re always thinking about what we can do to prevent issues for our customers,” said John Ruf, director of quality, TricorBraun. “Packaging is very consumer-centric and there are many details involved in understanding the supply chain. Therefore, we have a well-orchestrated team to pull everything together for successful commercialization.”

If an issue arises, TricorBraun’s quality team steps in to troubleshoot with both the customer and the supplier to determine how to solve the problem. For example, suppose the bottles were stored incorrectly, causing color fading on the package. In that case, TricorBraun’s quality team will set a requirement that the bottles be stored under certain conditions —such as within an optimal temperature range— to avoid a repeat occurrence.

To serve customers and resolve problems quickly and effectively, TricorBraun also maintains continuous improvement programs. This ensures that both the customer and supplier teams have the same specifications. Continuous improvement programs can also involve research to assess if broader market issues are occurring that can impact quality along the product packaging process.

TricorBraun also conducts warehouse audits for customers who want to mitigate risk, understand the potential risk, or confirm performance. TricorBraun’s team participates onsite at audits to answer questions and provide support to ensure that customer due diligence is occurring throughout the supply chain.

All quality management processes are supported by TricorBraun’s guidance and subject matter experts. Several of TricorBraun’s team members have more than 30 years of technical experience working with our suppliers and customers.

Quality Management Starts Here

TricorBraun has a robust supply chain network to help minimize potential supply chain disruptions in the global supply chain. We know our customers value quality and are committed to advocating for the highest standards for stock and custom packaging. Click here to speak with a consultant about our supply chain packaging management and quality control processes.