Requirements checklist
What to ask for when choosing software for rigid packaging manufacturers.
A checklist built from how rigid packaging manufacturers work, to print or save as a PDF and bring to any supplier meeting.
What the software should cover
Tick each one that matters to your business.
- Container specification library
- Resin, masterbatch and preform stock
- Moulding and blow machine planning
- Mould and cavity register
- Weight, top-load and leak records
- Carton and pallet patterns
Roles that need their own access
Who logs in, and what each person may see or change.
- For owners
- For planners
- For setters and operators
- For quality staff
- For stores and dispatch
Reports to ask for
Ask to see each one with your own sample data.
- Batches by machine with test status
- Resin consumed against shot weight
- Rejects by cavity, cause and shift
- Moulds by shots since last polish or service
- Top-load and leak results per batch
- Pallets dispatched by filler and pattern
- Open invoices per filler, oldest at the top
Systems it may need to connect to
Note which ones you already run.
- Barcode and carton label printing
- Bench scale and torque tester input
- WhatsApp or other messaging
- Accounting software export
Questions for any vendor
Put these to every supplier you are comparing.
- Can a batch be traced to its resin lot and mould?
- How are cap and bottle checks recorded together?
- Can it count shots on every mould?
- Does it help with colour changes on the machine?
- Can decorated containers be tracked as a separate step?
- How does it handle fillers with different pallet patterns?
- Can we start with open orders?
- What do we take with us if we stop using it?
- How is pricing arrived at?
Where the work usually breaks today
Circle the ones you recognise. They set the order of the project.
- Cavities are not tracked
- Resin lots mix on the machine
- Fit tests sit apart from the batch
- Mould maintenance is by memory
- Packing patterns change by filler
Prefer to talk it through? See the rigid packaging manufacturers page.