SESSION 1 | September 9th | 1:30-2:30 EST

Packaging Cost Optimization: The Basics Have Never Been More Important 

John Blake 
Senior Director Analyst
Gartner

Several converging factors are requiring a renewed focus on packaging cost optimization including: COVID-19, E-Commerce and Sustainable Packaging.  In all times, but especially in challenging times, its critical to approach cost optimization from the standpoint of the fundamentals, the basics.  Times of prosperity tend to make us forget about the basics because we're not worried about them. 

Unplanned events, like what we're seeing as a result of the COVID pandemic, cause us to forget because we tend to panic. 

But it's the basics that preserve us in good times and bad.  The purpose of this presentation is to give you very actionable concepts. If you're doing all of these things, be affirmed and full steam ahead. If you're not, you should be able to go right back and start operating with some of what you will hear from this presentation. 

Biography: John Blake is a Senior Research Director in Gartners supply chain research organization focusing on packaging, artwork and labeling.  Prior to joining Gartner in 2018, John spent over 25 years in packaging engineering leadership roles.  His experience covers package development, organization design, strategic planning, long term research, leading global teams and project management.  John holds an undergraduate degree in Packaging Science from RIT and is an Adjunct Professor at Rutgers School of Packaging Engineering. 

Indian Ecommerce Boom and the Express Shipment Industry

Jay Singh
Professor & Packaging Program Director  
Orfalea College of Business, Cal Poly State University 

 
E-commerce is a crucial segment of the current retail market in India. Continuously increasing purchasing power, increased penetration of internet-enabled devices, focus on advertising, ease of online shopping, innovative payment options, cashbacks and discount offers, and rapidly changing customer needs are the major growth drivers of the online retail market in India. Technology enabled innovations like digital payments, hyper-local logistics, analytics driven customer engagement and digital advertisements will expected to further influence the growth in the sector. The unprecedented boom in the online shopping and e-commerce sectors in India, has created opportunities for development of the Indian express shipment industry.  Increasingly, the express sector is also developing their networks in rural India, which represents a huge demand. This presentation provides an overview of the Indian E-commerce sector, the Indian Express Industry, and the findings of a recently concluded data collection study for the Indian small parcel shipment sector.
 

Biography: Jay received his MS and PhD in Packaging Science from Michigan State University. Considered amongst the top experts in the field of distribution packaging globally, Jay has published over 95 peer-reviewed articles, 73 articles in conference proceedings, 32 trade journal articles, 3 book chapters, coauthored 2 books and edited 1 book.A number of his publications have resulted in development/modification of numerous globally acknowledged packaging test standards. Jay currently serves as the President of International Association of Packaging Research Institutes (IAPRI) and is a past Director on International Safe Transit Associations (ISTA) Global Board. Having undertaken funded research of over $5.3+ million from state, federal agencies and industry as well as currently holding four patents, Jay was recognized with the Distinguished Scholarship Award in 2017 by Cal Poly. Jay is also the recipient of the ISTA 2019 R. DavidLeButtAward.