Make2Pack, which aims to tightly integrate processing and packaging automation, gets P&G’s strong backing.

Big believers in Make2Pack are three managers at Procter & Gamble: Skip Holmes, associate director corporate engineering; Dave Chappell, corporate technical section head; and Rob Aleksa, corporate machine control section head.

Packaging World caught up with these thought leaders at P&G’s innovation center outside of Cincinnati. (For the full story, see Packaging World’s June issue).

Holmes: Speed to market will be increased (and that) can translate into millions of dollars. I can focus valuable engineering resources on developing a breakthrough innovation instead of…integration tasks. Make2Pack will help us quickly integrate across the whole processing and packaging supply chain. Faster and simpler will be the key.

Aleksa: Suppliers will be able to focus on things that really differentiate their machines. We’d (also) like packaging machinery OEMs to recognize that their equipment needs to fit horizontally and vertically into an integrated system. With standard structures, it becomes much easier to move information around.

Chappell: It will give our businesses more choices. If something goes wrong we can replace it without having to retool or reprogram. We’ll reduce the time required to deliver projects and the level of expertise required to be successful. We’d like to reach a point where someone can walk up to a machine and use a PDA to understand what the machine is doing…as opposed to bringing in programmers.

Pat Reynolds, Editor, Packaging World