A quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin with its core message being that if we don’t innovate and change then we stand still treading water and are effectively finished.
Who amongst us doesn’t like innovation? Whether it was your first cell phone, ABS braking systems, colour TV (for those of us old enough to remember black and white), EFTPOS transactions or even video conferencing which became a vital part of our lives during lockdown. Our lives in some fashion, have all been changed and for the most part benefited by innovation. Whilst change can at times be scary and uncomfortable, the benefits almost always out way any angst or discomfort we feel as we adapt and learn to live with the new technology that innovation brings and what it delivers.
Innovation needs to be embraced and can come in many different forms , whether its Incremental -the iteration of product or technology that is already in existence (think better mouse trap), Disruptive - this type of innovation uses technology to provide easier access to what already exists (think Uber Eats, My Food Bag), Architectural - the modification of an existing idea or technology which is adapted to new markets (think Sony Walkman or GPS fitness tracking watches), Radical - where an organisation brings new technology to a new market (think Apple iPhone, which developed out of iPod and married Apples core technology competency to the goal of hand-held computers).
Over the years our industry has certainly benefitted from innovation and the inevitable positive changes that it brings. We have seen a host of technological innovation that has been introduced over the years, from automated graders and sorters, vertical form fill and seal machines, through to fully automated palletisers and strappers. Many of our industries packhouses have embraced some or all these innovations and have seen improved efficiency, productivity, reduced labour and or quality.
Here at Jenkins Freshpac, we’re a little bit proud to have brought a small slice of radical innovation to the New Zealand packhouse market with our Packnatur® range of bio netting. This product brings the new technology of woven netting made from wood fibre derived from sustainable forests to replace traditional plastic PP netting. Not only innovative but sustainable at the same time. So, a win-win for the customer and the environment.
Now more than ever, as we enter a post Covid lockdown world, we need to be adaptable and prepared to invest and embrace innovation, remembering the wise words of Ben Franklin over 200 years ago that still ring true today “When you’re finished changing your finished”.