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The purpose of this paper is to propose a process approach for identifying potential sources of customer value of a package in a packaging value chain and illustrate the approach through interview data.

The proposed process approach is a synthesis of customer value theories presented in marketing literature and packaging functions presented in packaging-related literature. Packaging value chain members were interviewed to illustrate the critical packaging-related processes among their business processes and to reveal value in the level of packaging attributes and packaging functions/consequences in use situations.

Interviews with packaging experts operating at different levels of a packaging value chain provide support for the proposed approach. The data provide a snapshot of value creation throughout the value chain. While the value of a package is perceived at all levels of the value chain, the value-creating attributes and their consequences, along with the value creation processes, take diverse forms.

The proposed process approach includes the first two steps of a customer value assessment in a packaging value chain, namely: identification of customers' packaging-related processes and the critical points in those processes; and generation of a list of value-affecting attributes and their consequences in each packaging-related process.

The paper provides a means to improve understanding of value creation in the business-to-business context. In particular, the authors' focus on the packaging value chain illustrates the multiple ways in which value is perceived by a group of interconnected firms.

Many companies in the UK have been forced to export to survive. A large number of such companies have failed due to their lack of understanding about the customer service requirements of overseas customers. Understanding the relative influence of each of the components of customer service, a manufacturer will be better able to develop a service package which will maximise customer satisfaction, thus giving as near as possible optimum use of limited resources. The procedures detailed here will enable marketers to benefit from understanding the needs of individual market segments.

Information Systems Technology (IST) has a recognised role in creating and sustaining competitive advantage. The link is developed between logistics and the use of IST to improve competitive performance by outlining a model of the logistics function that stimulates thinking about logistics issues and by describing instances of organisations that are using IST to gain competitive advantage in logistics. It is argued that IST will be a powerful tool for putting logistics and marketing together again. The majority of the case studies are drawn from the Australian business environment. A general process is also described that strategic planners can use when attempting to identify strategic information systems.

Information Systems Technology (IST) has a recognised role in creating and sustaining competitive advantage. The link is developed between logistics and the use of IST to improve competitive performance by outlining a model of the logistics function that stimulates thinking about logistics issues and by describing instances of organisations that are using IST to gain competitive advantage in logistics. It is argued that IST will be a powerful tool for putting logistics and marketing together again. The majority of the case studies are drawn from the Australian business environment. A general process is also described that strategic planners can use when attempting to identify strategic information systems.

Words like Participation tend to be labels stuck on generalities, signifying nothing. They are used as verbal bromides by publicists anxious to cover harsh realities with an attractive veneer. As a rule, once they have served their purpose, they are conveniently forgotten.

This report discusses the problem of how to organise the activities of the firm in order to achieve efficient logistics performance. In reviewing over 50 books and articles (professional and academic) published before 1975, the author identifies seven major themes, ranging from timing the establishment of logistics departments to modern theories of “matrix” organisations. The results of a survey conducted by the author in 1974 are presented, and the difficulties of developing definitive conclusions or guides to action in this area are discussed. (This report was written while the author was a graduate student at the Harvard Business School.)

PDM, the brainchild of the booming sixties has grown into a vital cost‐saving factor in the sober seventies. A recent national conference held by the Centre for Physical Distribution Management examined many aspects of the role RDM plays in the economy today. We publish here two of the papers read at that conference. The first by J.M. Williams of NMHC looks at the concept of materials management drawing considerably from the US experience and urges less theory and more practical implementation of modern distribution techniques. The second paper by B.W. Ancsell of Rank Radio International lucidly describes just what can go wrong when those techniques are implemented without sufficient forethought.

Packaging costs (direct labor and material) account for a substantial portion of a product's manufactured cost and so it is desirable to minimize these costs. And since major productivity gains have already been realised in manufacturing operations, the last frontier for productivity improvements appears to be in logistics. A formal methodology is therefore proposed to assess the efficiency of manual insertion and packing operations such as folding, insertion, labeling, sealing and scanning. Through this methodology, inefficient packaging operations can be identified and improved upon. This paper also discusses how standard manual handling and insertion times can be computed from raw data collected from industry. These standard manual handling and insertion times form the basis for the computation of the manual packaging efficiency expressed as a packaging index. The closer the index is to 1, the more efficient are the packaging operations. Tables of standard times for labelling, scanning barcodes, sealing with adhesive tape, and insertion into Zip‐Lock™ bags and cardboard boxes with two, three and four flaps are presented. A simple five‐step procedure records the ideal and actual packaging times in a worksheet, from which the packaging efficiency may be computed. The methodology was applied to the packaging of mobile phones, hard disk drives, a desk‐jet printer, a notebook computer, a video cassette recorder and a microwave oven. The packaging efficiencies of the three popular mobile phone models were computed to be 81.5 percent, 76 percent and 74.4 percent. By adopting the best packaging features of two competitor models, it was found that the packaging efficiency of one model of mobile phone could be improved by 13.7 percent. Arising from the research, the authors postulated a general manual packaging line consisting of all conceivable manual packaging operations. This generic manual packaging line is significant in a specific line for a specific product may be quickly configured from it. Finally, arising from the experience of the authors in this research, guidelines for the design of efficient packaging lines are proposed.

During handling and transportation, a product may be damaged due to mechanical shocks resulting mainly from impact. The current design practice of expandable polystyrene (EPS) protective packaging hinges on two main aspects: the determination of the size of the basic features of the buffer cushions (procedural); and the selection of an appropriate buffer configuration and its related arrangements (heuristics), and depends largely on the designer’s competence and experience. Discusses an integrated design approach for protective packaging, which aims to integrate both these aspects into a seamless design process, using multiple layers of neural networks to characterise the cushioning curve patterns of EPS materials, determine cushioning configurations and arrangements based on package‐to‐product characteristics, and size the buffer features. The favourable results obtained from a study comparing manually‐designed and network‐generated buffer configuration solutions highlight the potential of the approach.

The concept of brand transformation concerns a brand strategy that advocates radical changes. It involves a collective set of actions and activities that are coherently steered to regenerate the engagement experience of the target market emanating from the brand strategy. Nevertheless, there are still lack of case studies demonstrating this in the B2B business sector. The purpose of this paper is to exhibit a brand transformation initiative taken by a B2B business, particularly the handling challenges leading to the initiative coupled with the framework and processes involved to make it a success.

A case study method was applied with documentation of inputs captured from different stakeholders. Consulting practitioners from a brand consultancy involved in the brand transformation initiative documented interviews and audit findings which offered first-hand report regarding their involvement and experience of bringing the B2B business through the brand transformation journey.

Brand transformation at Fagerdala warranted a radical re-orientation of the brand positioning that supports a clear business intent that was put forward. The initiative encompasses strong leadership, commitment and change management to drive transformational changes involving both internal and external stakeholders. An innovation oriented mind-set is critical to drive radical changes to support coherent efforts that could ultimately engender to distinct brand experience to targeted stakeholders.

This paper provides brand managers, particularly the brand owners practical and realisable example on how to plan and execute brand transformation in a B2B business environment. More specifically, it highlights the indicators for embarking on this initiative, the approach to drive brand transformation based on established brand strategy frameworks and finally how to execute the strategy in a practical manner.

This paper extends the concept of brand transformation that has recently been mentioned in literature from one of conceptual perspective to one of practice perspective. It emphasises and underscores some of the details of execution that is instrumental in the practice of brand transformation within a B2B industry sector.