Solving problems in creative ways

Necessity is the mother of all invention, but innovation is the way to make inventions stand out. And innovation isn’t limited to science and technology alone — it is as much a gamechanger when it comes to process management and problem solving.

A few months, a key product was all set to be launched in Europe, and the team in charge of its manufacture was very excited because it was a clear winner. Soon, production moved to packaging, which is when a challenge arose. Spain had specific packaging requirements that we weren’t prepared to meet — imprinting a two-dimensional barcode, batch details and expiry date on each cavity of the blister pack. The normal practice is to imprint these details on one end of a blister pack.

The team realised that to meet this requirement, the blister shape will get distorted and hamper fitting in the carton. Additionally, two specific parts needed to be purchased from another geography just to print in this specific fashion, hiking up the packaging cost. Multiple issues continued to come up, and the team’s initial enthusiasm was replaced by anxiety – the launch date would be missed if things continued like this. It was then that the packaging team decided to resolve the problem with in-house capabilities.

They purchased one part instead of two and blisters were made in accordance with the specific requirements. In an automated packaging line, it is difficult to accommodate out-of-shape blisters as both dispensing and final packing in a carton become impossible. So, thinking out-of-the-box, the team researched and tested machine settings until the exact setting was reached, which made blister dispensing and packaging possible.

Innovation is not just creating complex systems; it is a way of thought and life. It keeps us on our toes.

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