Then take out all the bubble wrap.

Don’t forget to peel off the extra layer of plastic.

Finally, remove all the price tags and any other materials left over.

This is the sort of process consumers have had to go through to open many of their products over the years. And manufacturers have put them through it with the best of intentions.

Part of a great customer experience is ensuring people get the items they want in good condition. Effective packaging does that.

There are also some products that might not get damaged in transit, but could harm small children or animals if left exposed in the open. Packaging can provide an extra layer of safety in those kinds of situations.

Packaging is also, of course, a great opportunity for branding. Just seeing a logo on a box can get customers excited about what they’ve bought, and associating that excitement with the manufacturer that produced it.

On the flip side, throwing out packaging means adding more to overloaded landfills. Producing and consuming packaging also means emitting more greenhouse gas emissions, even as manufacturers are trying to reduce their carbon footprint to achieve net zero.

Customer attitudes and expectations around packaging have changed a lot as we’ve all learned about the challenges facing the environment. According to data from Explorer Research, packaging design is the top area of influence for shoppers who are concerned with sustainability.

A study from New Hope’s NEXT Data and Insights team also shows that consumers are increasingly aware of the sustainable packaging alternatives that are available to brands. It’s in manufacturers’ best interests, therefore, to learn more about how to improve their packaging to deliver an experience that aligns with their customers’ values.

1. The Scope Of EPR Regulations Grows

Manufacturers in Canada and beyond have long been governed by extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations which outline sustainability requirements around areas like packaging.

In Ontario, for instance, manufacturers and packaging producers were required to pay half the costs of collecting and recycling of printed paper products. That will change based on an announcement from the provincial government last year. Not only will collection expand to single use packaging such as cups and straws, but manufacturers will be expected to pay the full cost of recycling by 2025.

It’s possible other provinces will follow Ontario’s lead, or introduce their own variations on EPR regulations manufacturers will have to follow. All the more reason to get ahead of compliance requirements by reducing harmful packaging today.

2. The Momentum Around Circular Materials Accelerates

Consumers don’t have the scientific expertise or capabilities to know what’s continued in the packaging they unwrap and throw out. If they did, they might be shocked to discover the levels of toxins, from fragrances and solvents to flame retardants and other biohazards.

The food packaging in particular shows how this could be addressed by phasing out the use of what are known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Less chemicals means less waste and a more compelling story to tell customers who are looking to manufacturers for leadership.

Fortunately, this isn’t an area producers have to figure out everything on their own. Circular Materials, a Canadian national not-for-profit, is a great example of how industry leaders are coming together to promote better recycling of packaging.

3. Join Efforts To Develop Sustainable Packaging Strategies Thrives

The government isn’t simply putting new rules in place to tackle packaging waste in Canada. It is also working directly with manufacturers to create innovative solutions to the problem.

Just look at a recent investment by the federal Ministry of Agriculture and Agri-Food with the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA). The money will fund a pilot project to enhance the ability to create packaging that can be recycled or composted rather than tossed in the garbage.

The Ministry of Economy and Innovation has made similar moves by fuelling packaging sustainability efforts from the Circular Plastics Taskforce.

4. The Push To Plastic-Free Becomes A Top Priority

Using less ink and produced from sustainably managed forest sources, fashion house Gucci grabbed international headlines when it introduced “green packaging” that managed to retain its signature branding.

Much like other business challenges, some of the most successful companies are demonstrating they can make significant changes to packaging by exploring a range of environmentally-friendly materials.

Watch for other manufacturers who show what they can do using organic cotton, paper made of stone or even bamboo. Biodegradable seals may quickly become the norm.

5. Data Unlocks The Key To Improved Traceability And Tracking

Sustainable packaging isn’t just something that will concern those working on the plant floor or answering tough questions in the customer service department. It will become an IT imperative.

According to market research firm Garter, 40% of tech teams will own responsibility for net zero carbon targets and data modeling for sustainability within just three years.

IDC, meanwhile, says the same percentage of manufacturers will use technology to ensure the impact of packaging can be traced in order to boost transparency and mitigate environmental risks.

Taking a more data-driven approach to manufacturing can start even earlier by using platforms such as Net Zero Cloud to get an up-to-date and complete picture of your carbon footprint as it stands today. Combining this information with traceability data related to packaging will make it easier to measure progress towards true sustainability.

It won’t be long before more manufacturers see for themselves that changing the quantity and substance of materials used in packaging doesn’t hurt their brand. It just means they’re providing their customers with more than what’s contained in the package: a brighter outlook for the planet’s long-term future.

The post 5 Sustainable Packaging Trends Manufacturers Should Explore appeared first on Salesforce.

Applying that equation in daily business practices is where it becomes a lot more complicated. After all, the industrial sector has been reliant on fossil fuels for so long that the move to clean energy represents a significant change.

Clean energy is also an area where research and innovation continues at a rapid pace, which means manufacturers have to make the shift while keeping up with the latest developments. That’s on top of all the other day-to-day challenges in producing goods that need to move through a backlogged global supply chain.

This is where it may be helpful to look at the parallels between the advancement of clean energy and the way businesses of all sizes have come to embrace the competitive advantages of information technologies.

Companies may not have faced regulatory or customer pressure to move to cloud computing, for example, but it marked a radical break from the tradition of running all hardware and software on their physical premises. Even as some firms became early adopters of the cloud, it was quickly morphing into variations such as private clouds, public clouds and hybrid clouds.

The most successful organizations learned that in order to figure out how cloud computing would affect them, they needed to get hands-on experience with the technology. This could include small pilot projects, taking part in industry consortia or simply forming partnerships with third parties they could trust.

It will likely be a similar journey for Canadian manufacturers assessing the potential for clean energy. Whether you’re formally leaving this kind of initiative or are simply acting as your company’s de facto chief sustainability officer, there are several sources of insight to consider. In terms of next steps, you should:

Monitor the Canadian government’s Strengthened Climate Plan

The third chapter of the most recent federal budget summarizes the business case for clean energy as follows:

Smart climate investments today are good for Canadian workers, good for the Canadian economy, and good for the planet. With the largest mobilization of global capital since the Industrial Revolution already underway, Canada has the chance to become a leader in the clean energy of the future.

Among other actions, this vision is translating into $8 billion towards the Net Zero Accelerator, which is supporting projects to reduce our domestic greenhouse gas emissions. There have also been millions put into clean energy initiatives located in rural and indigenous communities.

Keeping an eye on the early results of the Strengthened Climate Plan is just one way manufacturers can identify clean energy best practices as they emerge.

Gather intelligence from The Clean Energy Review

You’ll occasionally see stories about how green manufacturing is developing in mainstream media outlets, but organizations like Clean Energy Canada do a great job of curating and compiling news that might otherwise get missed.

In its newsletter The Clean Energy Review, for example, CNC has pointed to a number of encouraging signs that manufacturers could use to inform their own strategies. Peruse just a few of its most recent issues, for instance, and you’ll learn about:

• A Quebec-based firm’s success in using hydrogen instead of carbon in a key part of the steelmaking process

• Why Newfoundland and Labrador are lifting a 15-year moratorium on the development of wind power

• Podcasts worth tuning into such as RBC’s ‘The Climate Conversations’

The newsletter is on top of all the other research and in-depth reports the organization publishes to accelerate sustainability efforts across the country.

Learn from the successes south of the border

There are obvious differences in the size and output of the industrial sector here and in the United States. Don’t be limited by looking at those differences in terms of global competitiveness, however. There are also case studies in clean energy adoption that are well worth trying to duplicate.

Bookmark the website of Manufacturing USA, for example, and you’ll see monthly updates across a network of firms on their shift to renewables. This includes an ongoing analysis of how “microfactories” could change the way resources are used, approaches to “remanufacturing” by maximizing the use of materials in end of life products and more.

Canadian manufacturers will undoubtedly continue to carve their own path in terms of clean energy, but it behooves everyone to pay attention to what’s happening in other parts of the world.

Conduct a ‘current state’ assessment to move towards a greener tomorrow

As you create a dashboard of sorts to synthesize the data and ideas from all these sources, start determining just how far you’ll have to go to achieve net zero. This is defined by removing all greenhouse gas emissions from the human activity involved in manufacturing products.

By automating the process of carbon accounting through platforms like Net Zero Cloud, you’ll immediately be able to set realistic goals around your adoption of clean energy. This can help achieve greater buy-in from all the various stakeholders who need to be consulted or directly involved in green manufacturing strategies.

You can supplement the use of Net Zero Cloud by conducting primary research with your supplier ecosystem and even your customers to gauge expectations one show they hope clean energy will transform the industrial sector. That kind of insight is key to ensuring you’re providing a customer experience that aligns with their values.

Like many other areas of business, the future of clean energy is still being written. The manufacturers that thrive are the ones who will go the extra mile in playing an active part in how it unfolds.

The post How The Future Of Clean Energy Will Affect Manufacturing In Canada appeared first on Salesforce.

“With Salesforce we can work better with our partners to give our customers an unforgettable experience.”

Jérôme Doucet, VP Sales & Marketing, Montel

The world doesn’t stand still. And neither does Jérôme Doucet. As VP of Sales and Marketing at storage manufacturer Montel, Jérôme knows how good technology can help businesses roll with the times.

Jérôme is a guy who gets things done – whether that’s building a new marketing campaign or ensuring things are on track at Montel’s factory. We caught up with Jérôme between organizing ‘lunch and learns’ for partners and hitting the ski slopes with his kids to talk about how to keep business thriving in a world that’s constantly evolving.

Tell us about the changes you’re seeing in your industry

These are exciting times at Montel. We’ve moved beyond traditional carriage library shelving into a lot of emerging markets. Space is priced at a premium right now, so making better use of it can deliver a huge ROI. Our customers range from sports teams and retailers to government agencies and pharmaceutical companies.

How is smart technology helping you deliver more value to customers?

It’s all about helping people to work as efficiently as possible. If a customer has a mobile storage system, we can add programmable features such a ‘priority aisle’, which opens the most-used aisle as default instead of them having to manually open it each time. There are also some interesting developments going on with vertical farming – we can create controlled indoor environments that eliminate the use of pesticides and have automated irrigation to cut down on water waste, as the plants can feed themselves when they’re thirsty. This technology will really help in places like the Caribbean and countries with the harshest environments where it can be hard to grow food, and we even have a partner developing LED grow-lights that could work with our environment to help NASA grow vegetables on Mars!

How does Salesforce help you break into new markets?

At Montel, we work with a network of 65 authorized Montel distributors (AMDs) who have specific territories and verticals. To work with such a diverse customer base and so many partners, we have to be organized, and that’s where Salesforce comes in. Salesforce helps us operate at our best – it encourages good practices as well as making us more efficient, transparent, and unified.

What’s your favourite Salesforce feature?

I love the way it handles opportunities. On average we need to follow up between eight and 12 times to turn a lead into an order, and with Salesforce we can set alerts if we haven’t followed up with a prospect. With better visibility we can also manage our partner relationships – if a partner seems quiet, we can get in touch to find out if there’s an issue. Or if a customer has a project that’s too big for a partner to handle, we can take it in-house and give the partner commission on our sale so we’re not missing out on those opportunities.

What’s your biggest achievement at Montel?

The fact that my team and I have built a global distribution network is something I’m very proud of. We’ve adapted our business in the face of a shrinking traditional market, and are now helping more customers optimize their limited space than ever before. We have a steady network of partners, which means a steady stream of orders for our factories.

What advice do you have for new Trailblazers?

I think the reason we have such healthy partner relationships is that we share our successes, and with Salesforce we can demonstrate the value we bring to them. All of our partners use the platform, so we all have complete visibility of what’s in the pipeline and how orders are progressing, and that transparency builds trust. The same principle applies to anyone you work with: if you want people to buy into your vision, show them how it will make their lives easier; from your employees through to customers, having an aligned vision will help you blaze your way to success.

Learn how Montel boosts dealer relationships and accelerates sales and growth with Salesforce.

The post Find Out How Trailblazer Jérôme Doucet is Helping Montel Adapt With The Times appeared first on Salesforce.

The changing customer

Businesses are already realizing that customers, both business and consumer, are becoming more difficult to attract, influence, and retain. Why is that?

• The purchasing journey is becoming complex, and sales teams are responding by gaining a deeper understanding of the customer journey. Constantly connected to colleagues and cohorts, today’s buyers validate views, invite opinions, and share thoughts. Bombarded by marketing information, they are filtering out noise, and focusing only on relevance and sales organizations that truly understand their pain points.
• The purchasing journey is now fully multi-channel, as buyers explore and compare online, on mobile, in stores, at home and work. Smart companies work to engage them earlier, create seamless experiences and build enduring, trusted relationships.
• Personalized experiences are creating better customer connections. Customers respond to one-to-one experiences that go beyond product customization and spans their entire customer journey. Bespoke manufacturing is common at an industrial level, but personalization must go further. Customization via product options has long been a part of luxury car marketing, but Jaguar Land Rover has put personalization at the heart of sales at its Westfield store. It embraced the multi-channel purchasing journey, enabling the purchasing process to be continued and concluded online.
• Customers increasingly seek outcomes and experiences rather than products and features. They want a brighter office, not lightbulbs, and a cozy bedroom instead of a heater. Consumers are welcoming brands that exceed their expectations and immerse them in delightful experiences.

The implications may seem more relevant to retailers – but they aren’t. Understanding customer motivations and values can inform every aspect of sales and marketing, inform product development and spark manufacturing innovation. And with the growth of direct-to-consumer as a business model, these changing customer demands are becoming absolutely fundamental to achieving success.

If customers are so central, where do you start?

To adapt to an increasingly connected, customer-centric world, manufacturers must recognize:

1. Customer visibility and understanding have become critical

Customers are always seeking a a way to solve their own problems – so to develop and sell well means understanding those needs. To enable value for someone, you must know what value means to them, understand their motivations, and how they identify their needs. Unfortunately, some manufacturers have no direct customer relationships, particularly if their customers buy via channels like dealers and distributors. Even those that sell directly often keep customer data siloed from other business areas – whether because they don’t have the right technology in place or because it hasn’t historically been part of the company culture to share this information. IT systems usually become complex over time with data spread across different databases as well as production and warehousing systems never designed to interact with back office software. It is tough to see customers clearly, make that knowledge accessible to business users throughout the business, or build on it to drive better engagement. Uniting your customer data, whether internally or in collaboration with partners, must be a business priority for manufacturers who want to sell more directly, or engage more directly, with their customers. It requires flexible systems of intelligent engagement to complement your systems of record and functional IT, that enable you to engage customers in the right way, on the right channels, at exactly the right times to gain their attention.

2. Connected customers need great experiences

Improving the overall customer experience can be seen as the retailer’s domain – but the benefits that will explode from IoT-connected products will form a fundamental part of the customer’s experience. Putting customer experience and service at the forefront of your thinking should become the manufacturer’s responsibility too – even if service is devolved to others. “A consistent focus on customer service is a crucial ingredient for sustainable performance, especially in challenging times” insists the Institute of Customer Service. So, when a customer has a problem, even if a partner manages support for that customer, you need to be fully confident in the quality of service. Each customer experience influences not only their future decisions but those of others, as customers now share experiences freely – especially bad ones. Creating seamless, valuable, enjoyable experiences and service excellence for customers, whether they deal with you or partners, is a vital ingredient of success in a competitive world. It means creating transparent platforms which allow you and partners to deliver experiences collaboratively.

Securing your future

Manufacturers can secure their future by delivering products that customers want and consistently delighting them across all customer touch points – from the sales process, to customer service, to upsell and cross-sell – all with the goal of delighting that customer so that, when the time is right, they are excited to do business with you again. The future rests on redefining the goal of manufacturing around customer success, not product sales – something Forbes cited as a top ten customer service trend for 2017. Connected products, supported by predictive customer service that anticipates customer needs, will require the right systems in place that can simplify mountains of complex, siloed data. Having a single view of the customer that is available to all employees will enhance those employees’ ability to deliver great customer experiences, as well as enable you to plan differently and innovate around customer needs. Having this complete customer view requires implementing seamless ways to manage customer interaction and engagement, as well as having access to the tools to analyze business and customer data to drive smarter decisions. The manufacturing sector is in the midst of a rapid change. For some this will present the opportunity to innovate and create new value – but, for those who fail to adapt or recognize the fundamental changes, it will present significant risks. Taking a whole-company approach to create customer centricity means connecting employees to each other, as well as to customers, linking back and front offices, and eliminating data silos. It means embracing your complex partner ecosystem and providing them with platforms that enable collaboration around the customer so that they too can deliver amazing customer service and experiences. Adapting for the future of manufacturing is about creating agility and insight to drive success for everyone – and Salesforce has been enabling customer success since its inception. We have already helped thousands of companies connect to their own customers in a whole new way and drive more customer success. A great place for manufacturers to begin their transformation is with their sales organisation. Download our e-book to read more about how Salesforce solutions can help manufacturing companies to success in the Age of the Customer and deliver personalized customer engagement at scale.

This post was originally published on the Salesforce U.K. Blog.

The post How Manufacturers Must Adapt in the Age of the Customer appeared first on Salesforce.