In this blog, we explore the Packaging Development Plan (PDP) project of Yesenia Marili Mazariego, Packaging Engineer at Smurfit Westrock, El Salvador.
Packaging Development Plan (PDP)
The Packaging Development Plan (PDP) is a 27-page template that guides students in our online Certificate of Mastery in Packaging Management program through the packaging development and management process, from ideation to implementation.
We have offered the CMPM since 2017, empowering packaging professionals to advance their careers through a PhD-led program that spans 14 online courses and includes personalized 1-on-1 coaching from our Academic Director, Dr. Julie Rice Suggs.
The Structure of the PDP
The PDP starts as a 27-page template and transforms into a document that can span 200+ pages as students progress throughout the program. The project mirrors the packaging development process, including 10 key stages:
Project Kickstart
Project Management Essentials
Regulations & Sustainability
Materials I
Materials II
Package Labeling & Finishing
Packaging Development Workflow
Capital Equipment and Scale Plan
Supply / Distribution Plan
Human Factors in Packaging Design
To gain a better understanding of the how the Packaging Development Plan works, let's explore a case study from Yesenia—a Packaging Engineer at Smurfit Westrock, El Salvador.
Yesenia's PDP Project
Yesenia's experience in her own words . . .
The Project
"For my Packaging Development Plan (PDP), I selected a project that would benefit the customer and my learning using the PDP methodology. Specifically, the project aimed to offer an innovative art for the customer's graphic line and improve the structural form of their operation."
The Strategy
Target Audience / Stakeholders:
"The main stakeholders impacted by this project include operators in the warehouse, consumers, and employees. The project aimed to improve the graphic image of a specific package to identify it more quickly and easily for both consumers and warehouse workers. It was also necessary to offer a packaging solution so that it could be better displayed in the store."
Approach:
"The strategy used to execute this project involved a design thinking approach, graphic design, and better in-store visualization. This was important because the current box was not attractive to customers and the main reason was the extensive text that it had, which made it difficult to identify the product.
In addition, operators needed a better solution to open the boxes in stores and display the products. So, I started to create a graphic line with a specific color for a product and a perforated window in the packaging. This helped the main problem of identifying the packaging and its display in the store, as well as empathizing with its operators to recognize each product when handling it."
Resources & Support:
"To support the project, I leveraged all the tools that I used in Smurfit Westrock, and I talked with the sales advisor that knows the customer because he knew all the specifications about their operations. Besides, I implemented the design techniques that I learned in SW along with teaching in the CMPM."
Impact / Expected Outcomes:
"The expected impact of this project was a 100% increase in the identification of each product in the warehouse, innovation in 50% of all customer packaging, and a better relationship with the client thanks to our interest in improving their products.
This would contribute to the work between Smurfit Westrock and the customer being more solid and continuing for longer, as SW has been the packaging supplier for more than 10 years."
The Results
Yesenia's Testimonial
Yesenia's testimonial on the PDP was provided in three parts—Key Learnings, Impact on My Role, and Future Opportunities:
Key Learnings
"Through the development of the PDP project, I have expanded my knowledge of how to approach a project that requires identifying an existing problem regarding a customer's process or product and how to best complete it with an ideal packaging solution for it. This helped me to investigate more deeply the details and specifications of a specific product, helping me to recognize that for an ideal packaging solution, the entire project landscape must be known."
Impact on My Role
"The development of the PDP helped me look for more improvement or innovation projects within our client portfolio, with the key factor being the research of each one in order to offer a solution that is attractive to clients. This opportunity will continue to help me to improve in my current position and to grow within Smurfit Westrock."
Future Opportunities
"The best thing about being part of the packaging engineering team at Smurfit Westrock is the extensive communication we can have with our clients, which is a way of applying what I have learned in the CMPM and advising other people on my team. Also, I know that with the sales team I can contribute greatly to provide ideas and solutions for different projects."
Learn more about the PDP and CMPM
Since launching the Certificate of Mastery in Packaging Management in 2017, we have trained hundreds of professionals in the packaging industry at organizations of all sizes—from Fortune 500 companies (like Smurfit Westrock) to small packaging operations.
Our CMPM is cohort-based and led by Dr. Julie Rice Suggs, the Academic Director of the Packaging School—learn more here!
