Challenges & Concerns
Pressure Points
Rank the following challenges from most to least pressing.
Personnel, followed by pricing, remain printers’ toughest challenges. Forty-two percent of respondents rank recruiting, retaining and training the workforce as the largest potential trouble spot in 2022. Twenty-two percent rate pricing in that first position. Meeting customer demand follows, with competitive positioning, shrinking margins and profitability close behind.
Trouble Spots
List your plant-wide concerns.
Listing out plant-wide concerns, as opposed to challenges, 80 percent of the flexographic converters cite raw materials costs. Lagging far behind, at 58 percent, is faster makeready. Economic conditions come close on its heels, with 55 percent focusing on their impact. Then come short runs at 42 percent, new technologies at 33 percent, sustainability at 27 percent, compliance/regulations, 26 percent; and diversification, 21 percent.
Respondents’ thoughts cover a broad spectrum. They do not hold back:
- “We have been working with a shortage of people, COVID, broken supply chains and price increases, while at the same time increasing prices to our clients—with terrible OTD (on-time delivery). We need to establish ultimate customer service while the world is broken around us, so when the industry comes out of the many imbalances we are working in now, we are remembered for greatness”
- “Supply chain issues are numerous—the cost of goods is climbing. Economy is somewhat uncertain. There are long lead times for paper and pressure-sensitive liner”
- “Petroleum-based raw materials must stabilize their pricing or the industry will suffer. Small businesses will shut down”
- “Investment is very difficult today, as is turnover. That makes it harder every day to be a small player”
- “Our market is going to be hit by an economic correction in the near future due to inflation and rising prices on raw materials and end products. There are lots of new tools on the market, but the most important thing is learning to maximize your current tools to gain efficiency and press speeds. I like seeing that UV inks and coatings are becoming better and more specialty coatings are being offered to allow customers to create beautiful labels”
- “Upward pressure on raw material pricing is with us for the short term. Expect it to be somewhat countered through continual advancement in the packaging sector’s automation capabilities”
- “Political will toward socialism will negatively influence the working force. Industry will evolve and adapt to fill the labor void with automation”
- “We’re trying to train and educate employees to be efficient at their jobs and open-minded to changing technologies. New technology is always welcome. It takes well-trained individuals to fully utilize it, or it will not improve anything.”