Sugar cane, seaweed, cow waste, bamboo: These are just some of the unlikely ingredients being used in packaging for today鈥檚 cosmetic and beauty products as younger consumers push for more sustainable packaging.
According to industry estimates, 120 billion units of packaging are produced globally by the cosmetics industry. In response, consumer pressure is fueling the trend away from single-use plastics and toward recyclable and refillable packaging. One packaging company successfully embracing the circular economy is Barcelona-based Quadpack.
鈥淗aving sustainable production is a key driver for our business,鈥� M贸nica Garza, head of Business Technology at Quadpack, explains. 鈥淲e provide eco-friendly products and materials based on our 鈥�4-Rs鈥� strategy: re-use, reduce, recycle, replace.鈥�
The approach is certainly working, and Quadpack is now one of Europe鈥檚 top packaging specialists, creating and manufacturing a range of innovative packaging solutions for the worldwide beauty industry. Established in 2003, it has grown rapidly into a global independent packaging group, servicing the leading prestige, masstige, and mass-market brands.
Technology has been at the heart of this global expansion.
鈥淥rganic and inorganic growth present different challenges for process, data and system standardization across the business,鈥� Garza continues. 鈥淔lexibility and scalability are vital, which is why we chose 麻豆原创 as our technology platform at the start of our journey. Our goal is to transform Quadpack鈥檚 current ecosystem into one global platform to support us as our business evolves.鈥�
This consistent technology platform 鈥� comprising 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud, 麻豆原创 C/4HANA, 麻豆原创 Cloud Analytics and 麻豆原创 Cloud Platform 鈥� connects the entire business by consolidating all data into a single database in real time.
鈥淗aving a cloud-based platform gives us the scalability we need and promotes continuous innovation,鈥� Garza says. 鈥溌槎乖� provides quarterly software updates, so we are always at the leading edge of developments in technologies like machine learning, artificial intelligence, and advanced analytics.鈥�
This agility is particularly important in a fast-moving industry where creativity and innovation are the key to keeping ahead of the competition.
鈥淥ur customers are increasingly demanding more customized and personalized products, and time to market is critical,鈥� Garza says. 鈥淲e are investing in Industry 4.0 to create automated and lean processes that enhance our manufacturing capabilities so we can adapt quickly to changing customer demand.鈥�
Quadpack has been supported at every stage by award-winning 麻豆原创 partner Seidor, which specializes in enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.
鈥淪eidor understand our business and our current and future needs,鈥� Garza says. 鈥淭hey also have a deep understanding of 麻豆原创 products and how they can help us develop our business moving forward.鈥�
Quadpack has ambitious plans for the future. As well as continued expansion of its sales and manufacturing operations into America and Asia pacific regions, it intends to maintain business growth through mergers and acquisitions (M&A) as it follows the road to a potential IPO.
Garza anticipates that the company鈥檚 strong technology platform will continue to enable Quadpack to create new business models, improve customer satisfaction, collaborate more effectively, and enhance employee engagement 鈥� all while staying true to its founding principles.
鈥淣o matter where the future takes us, it鈥檚 important that we keep embracing our little big company values: respecting how we do business, looking after our people, and caring for the environment.鈥�
Images via Quadpack.