Why would I use a packaging systems integrator when I could just do it myself? Believe it or not, we run across this question a lot when looking at a customer’s project. People who contact us generally won’t come right out and say it, but their actions suggest they know that they could do it on their own. Chances are, they could do it on their own and at the end of the day, have a running packaging line.
So… why would I need a packaging systems integrator? I think of it like this… I recently bought a house and I’m now at the point where I would like to put in a fence. I grew up in one of those “do it yourself” families who’s tendency was to struggle through seemingly small projects that morph into huge undertakings. My family would scoff at the idea of paying a company to install a fence in my backyard. It’s true, I could probably do enough research to figure out how to build a fence. I could competitively shop fencing providers to find the best possible deal on material. Then I could spend all of my free time after work digging holes, leveling ground, pouring concrete and assembling fence panels… Or I could pay someone to do it for me.
It is a simple example, but the advantage of using a packaging systems integrator is that you don’t deal with all of the headaches that
inevitably arise in any project. You let someone who is well equipped deal with those issues.
Back to the fence analogy… So I’m digging my post holes and three inches down I hit solid granite. Awesome. I spend the next two hours with a pick axe or a sludge hammer trying to break up the rock, hoping it’s not very deep. Two hours later, I’ve made little progress and go to Home Depot to rent a jack hammer. A fence company runs into the same problem, walks to their truck, spends 15 minutes on the hole with a jack hammer and moves on. Do you know what the best part is? I, the customer, never have to worry about it.
It’s true, when you use a packaging systems integrator, you are paying for a service. If you have internal engineering resources to manage a complete packaging line installation, then you could probably get it done “cheaper.” Just like I could build a fence that is “cheaper.” What the fence would have really cost me is TIME. Time I could have spent doing something more important or something I actually enjoy.
More and more we find that companies have dwindling internal engineering resources with multiple projects going on in tandem. They have to decide what to spend their time on and what makes sense to give to an outside resource. They know they could do the project themselves, but it’s worth it to them, and their organization, to bring in a company like EPIC. Those are the types of customers we love doing projects for.