Cost vs. Customer Satisfaction...that is the universal challenge for any Packaging Engineer. I have been a FCSD Packaging Engineer since 1986 and during that time I have seen the pendulum repeatedly swing between "reduce packaging costs" and "satisfy the customer at any cost". In years past we have operated under the philosophy that "the best packaging is no packaging" or "use poly bags for large parts and the carrier will see they are fragile and handle them with care". I bristle when I hear the statements, "What's the big deal about packaging, just throw the part in the box" or "packaging is non-value added". How valuable is a damaged part? We Ford engineers share your frustrations with changing packaging directions.

The fact remains that cost management is imperative for any business, and FCSD is continually looking for ways to control costs through packaging designs that use new materials, improved packaging processes or new technologies. But the ultimate goal of everything we do in Packaging Engineering is to satisfy our customers. With our management's full support, the pendulum is swinging back in that direction, and we are being held accountable to your satisfaction.



On the surface these words may sound hollow given our current problem with some sheet metal packaging designs. In a perfect world, each new design would work flawlessly and never need tweaking after being put into production. But that is not reality, and we are committed to improving our designs when we are made aware of the problems in the field. So that is why your input is so valuable. We can no longer rely exclusively on damage claims data because that does not paint a full picture. You, the customer, are in the best position to evaluate the quality of our packaging. So we have established this Packaging Information web site on QCDealer to make it more convenient for you to tell us not only about your packaging concerns but also the things we have done that you like.

Packaging should be the last thing on the customer's mind. If Packaging Engineering can remain invisible then we have done our jobs right. When a packaging problem emerges and you advise us, we are committed to react. For example, H-shaped hood cartons have been a major concern to our customers. Therefore we are spending $1.2 million to improve this design. You can read more about these design improvements at the "What's Going on in Packaging" section of our site.



Above is a typical Importance and Satisfaction quadrant chart. We relabeled the axes to be Cost Savings and Customer Satisfaction. Overlaid on this chart is the arc of our historical pendulum swing. It is our goal to minimize the pendulum swing, reduce costs, and improve customer satisfaction. That is our challenge. Please let us know how we are doing by filling out this month's Customer Satisfaction Survey.


Learn more about the author of this article, Dan Boylan, in this months "Who's Talking" article.