Recently, we had the opportunity to sit down for a Q&A with Senior Engineering Technician, Heather Watson, Manufacturing Engineer, Brandon Krone, and Engineering Technician I, Jason Roe. Though they all have different responsibilities on our engineering team, together, they are a driving force behind the meticulous design, innovation, and optimization of our engineering and packaging solutions. From their roles in engineering, to our automated box making machine, and how our solutions work to improve customer experience, we were able to catch a glimpse into their dynamic world of engineering excellence.
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Packaging Engineering as a Service
From automating processes to innovation and a customer focus, our engineers help elevate NewStream’s kitting, packaging, and assembly service to our customers.
Q: As part of NewStream’s engineering team, can you tell us a little more about your role in utilizing in-house packaging engineering, and what you enjoy most about being an engineer?
Heather: As part of the Engineering team here at NewStream, my role in utilizing in-house packaging is to ensure that the packaging we use keeps the product safe, is cost effective, and looks appealing while keeping the customers’ needs in mind.
Brandon: As a Manufacturing Engineer, my role revolves more around facilitating the production process than packaging layouts and design. I research, source, and onboard new machines and equipment, as well as design and implement new facility layouts. All for the purpose of continuously improving our production flow, reducing costs, and shortening customer lead times. Having a broader influence on how the product is made, rather than the product itself, is very fulfilling. Being able to analyze systems, identifying how they work and how they can be improved is an enjoyable problem-solving and creative outlet for me.
Jason: As an Engineer Technician I, I work alongside/assist fellow Technician I’s, II’s, and Manufacturing Engineers to help ensure the product that our customers desire from us. I enjoy the constant new challenges that come my way every day, as it is mentally stimulating. The sheer satisfaction when you complete a project that is extremely complicated is exhilarating.
Q: NewStream utilizes a box making machine on a daily basis. Can you tell us more about the benefits of using this machine and the overall benefits of having in-house packaging engineering?
Heather: There are many benefits to utilizing our [automated box machine] ABM machine daily. One of the largest benefits is enhancing our customer satisfaction, which we are able to do by keeping costs down (no more high minimum order quantities (MOQ’s)- less pack fill costs due to eliminating extra space in our packaging), and we are able to provide a much quicker turnaround time without negatively affecting our customer needs. Another great benefit is we can open valuable warehouse space by making boxes on demand versus holding an inventory of boxes in the warehouse. Employment for packaging engineering is growing and according to the U.S. Department of Labor will continue to grow through 2028 at an average rate, and this is because packaging engineers can help boost the bottom line with a continuous research process that helps reduce waste, damage, and shipping costs.
Brandon: This was one of the first machines I onboarded, and that experience is near and dear to me. We’ve seen a number of benefits from this machine, not least of which is drastically shortening the lead times that you may see with typical packaging vendors. The flexibility to produce exactly what we need, when we need it, allows us to deliver product to our customers in a fraction of the time. Similarly, this flexibility is also well suited for low volume orders, meaning we can provide tailored packaging to small customers as well as big.
Jason: Having the ABM makes it easier and convenient when prototyping new packaging, and when we run out of boxes that we order, we can easily utilize the ABM to make more until they come in, or if we have a low yield of a product, it is easier to have them made on the ABM than being ordered. The benefits of having a “In-house engineering” team are that we can conquer all the problems thrown our way, it maybe: preventing parts from getting damaged, closely working with our customers so we can improve the overall packaging and to have it look how “they” are wanting their packaged goods received/designed. Creating fixtures, writing Work Instructions, and finding/testing new tooling, new programs to assist our fellow departments in making their jobs easier and more productive.
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Q: Innovation is a framework for engineering solutions, can you share some examples of instances where your team has introduced innovative solutions to help improve our customer’s experience?
Heather: One instance I can think of is branded labels that have clear backing and are able to be used on corrugated containers. While our customers understand the costs associated with branding their packaging, the costs can get very high for their lower volume items. We were able to offer this label as a solution to a customer to help keep their costs down, but still have their name out there, which was very important to them being that they are very competitive in their industry.
Brandon: There are countless examples to choose from, but one that is particularly memorable happened early on in my tenure in this department. We were tasked with reducing the cost and production time of a particular product line which had historically been very labor intensive. Our team worked as group in what’s known as a Kaizen Event and together we were able to reduce cost and labor of the product line by as much as 125%, which was a huge win, not only for us, but for the customer as well.
Q: In-house packaging engineering helps our customers focus on their core competencies. What are some other things our customers like about NewStream’s engineering and what problems do we help them solve?
Heather: By providing our customers with a team that uses continuous research processes that help reduce waste, damage, and costs whether it’s machines or packaging improvements it is a huge weight off our customer’s shoulders.
Brandon: The intricate details of kitting and packaging may seem trivial to some and can often be overlooked. But when done poorly, it really shows. Often when we are approached by new customers, they’re dissatisfied with their current provider, be that an in-house operation or from another vendor. They’ve already put so much work into developing their product; they shouldn’t have to worry about monitoring their packaging, much less wrangling their kitting and distribution providers. That’s where we come in. Our customers care about the quality and presentation of their product and that’s why they choose us. Not only do we deliver the product safely, but we look good doing it too and Engineering is just one part of that.
Jason: More than it should be, our customers’ desires are not being met by their current provider(s). This goes completely against our NewStream pledge to our customers. As employees, nay owners of NewStream, we want to go above and beyond what our customer expects of us, their product, their creation is essential to the hard-working people that are “Needing” this product. May it be, how it is presented, the quality, or the safety of it.
Q: Having an in-house packing engineer is integral for businesses like NewStream. In your opinion, why do you think companies should choose NewStream over competitors without in-house packaging engineering.
Heather: Again, I believe with our team able to provide our value-added services our customers have more time to focus on their own in-house processes and efficiencies without the worry of a team that they have help manage to ensure their product is safe, cost effective and has that appealing look the customer likes.
Brandon: Any business that chooses a kitting and packaging company without an engineering team is setting themselves up for disaster. Our team works hand-in-hand with new customers from even before the quoting process up until the product leaves the door. In one way or another, our department touches a product line more than any other and we regularly work with each one to facilitate product delivery. This could be from sales to warehouse and shipping, to production, to quality, to maintenance and IT and even a little bit of accounting; all to ensure a quality, end product that we, and our customers, can be proud of.
Thank you, Heather, Brandon, and Jason, for taking the time to provide us with the insight into NewStream’s engineering department, and just how beneficial in-house packaging engineering can be for our customers, both current and future.