Productivity ranks as the top priority among surveyed CPGs and industry suppliers, according to the 2025 Embracing Operational Readiness report by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, the producer of the PACK EXPO portfolio of trade shows.
This report summarizes key issues, industry insights, and recommendations from PMMI’s 2025 Top to Top Summit, held in February. The summit serves as a platform for OEMs and consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies to exchange perspectives, address shared challenges, and collaborate on practical solutions.
More than three-quarters (78%) of participants voted for productivity as their top priority, followed by cost and automation (both 47%). Growth (39%) and workforce (24%) also attracted significant proportions of the vote. While it is unsurprising that participants are focused on productivity and cost, the importance given to automation is interesting, particularly as it was a key theme of all three distinct, yet interconnected phases explored at the Top to Top 2025 Summit:
- Vertical startups
- Operator training
- IT-OT integration
According to the study, vertical startups are successful and achievable through clear communication and collaboration between OEMs and end users. Participants provided specific details about strategies for effective training, such as digital tools, follow-up assessments, automated systems, tailored learning formats, and digital solutions that include AI-driven troubleshooting, interactive manuals, and augmented reality.
Operator training highlights the need to account for diverse workplace realities, including language barriers, varying levels of technical skills, and high turnover rates. People-centric training is also needed to overcome the “shift phenomenon” and minimize performance fluctuations across different shifts.
IT-OT integration explores the complexities of how end users and OEMs can work together to overcome barriers and ensure technical requirements, cybersecurity measures, and data integration needs are met. By prioritizing real-time data visibility, secure infrastructure, and early stakeholder involvement, organizations can achieve seamless IT-OT integration, future-proof their operations, and avoid costly setbacks. Justifying an IT-OT investment remains a key challenge. As a result, CPG companies must balance short-term, tangible benefits, such as cost savings, reduced downtime, and immediate ROI, with long-term advantages, including a scalable, future-proof solution that enhances automation, provides real-time insights, and optimizes production processes.
“Technology is playing a growing role in all aspects of industry,” notes Jorge Izquierdo, vice president, market development, PMMI. He explains, “Used strategically and safely, it can provide the means to create more efficient production. Companies that refine and streamline processes, develop skilled workers, and unlock the power of their IT-OT systems create an environment of operational readiness.”
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