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The Evolution of Products and Packaging follow’s Wright’s journey with attention to the failures and challenges he experienced as a result of poor packaging and product data management.
“I lived through monumental shifts like retailer influence, globalization, and consumers demanding more variety and sustainability when it came to products and packaging,” Wright said. “This resulted in an explosion of data that companies needed to manage, and it was clear to me that the industry needed to evolve to keep up.”
In one example, he recalls how his company produced 500,000 boxes for a retailer that had to be dumped in a landfill because of an incorrect specification. Experiences like this ultimately led him to found Specright in 2016 to solve the problem once and for all.
“Matthew’s book provides a first-hand account of the market and consumer shifts that have transformed our industry,” said Jay Singh, Professor & Packaging Program Director, Orfalea College of Business, Cal Poly State University San Luis Obispo. “Furthermore, he outlines a vision for how we can make better, sustainable and more innovative products and packaging through a data-driven approach. This is a must read for both students and experienced professionals alike."
AJ Gruber has navigated these trends firsthand as President & CEO of the International Safe Transit Association, an organization that writes test procedures defining how packages should perform to ensure protection of their contents.
“Packaging has evolved from transportation to a critical part of the product – and it’s still evolving. Trends like eCommerce, sustainability, and globalization are putting more pressure on packaging and products than ever before,” Gruber said. “Matthew explains not only why that is, but how professionals can stay ahead of the curve when it comes to the future of products and packaging.”
“In order to prepare for the future, we have to understand the past and how packaging and product manufacturing got to this point,” Wright added. “There will always be challenges in our industry, but if we take a spec-first, data driven approach to making products and packaging, I’m confident the next generation will be prepared to face whatever comes their way.
