Success Story: Optimized Packaging Systems Unlock $90M in Cost Savings

Client Overview

A global Fortune 500 food and beverage company approached Adept Group to transform the way packaging was designed, specified, and managed across its international operations. Over time, the organization had accumulated a large, complex portfolio of packaging structures and specifications, many of which were redundant or over-engineered.

The Challenge

Adept quickly identified several key issues that were driving cost, complexity, and operational inefficiencies:

  • The portfolio included many structures that were more robust than necessary for their performance requirements.

  • Base or discontinued resins and multiple base film thicknesses were still in use, contributing to excessive material costs and supply chain complexity.

  • Specifications were often incomplete, inconsistent, or inaccurate.

  • Many packaging specs were managed externally by suppliers rather than standardized and controlled internally.

  • This limited the organization’s visibility and decision-making power and made it difficult to drive harmonized improvements across regions.

These issues made it clear that the company needed not just packaging optimization, but also foundational process and governance improvements at a global scale. 

Our Approach

Adept designed and implemented a structured, best-in-class approach to global packaging harmonization:

  • Developed a 5-step internal process to evaluate the global productivity scale of the organization and identified optimization opportunities across all major packaging formats.

  • Implemented a global packaging harmonization strategy built on key “building blocks” inspired by industry best-in-class practices and aligned with emerging sustainability initiatives.

  • Created global performance standards and menu cards for new and existing products, including line extensions across multiple brands, to provide clear guidance on which structures and materials should be used under specific conditions.

  • Refreshed and standardized packaging specifications, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and internal ownership of critical data.

  • Acted as a liaison between global R&D and procurement teams, enabling cross-functional alignment, consistent decision-making, and more strategic supplier negotiations.

This framework provided the organization with a scalable foundation for ongoing optimization, cost reduction, and sustainable innovation.

The Impact

The harmonization program generated substantial impact across the business:

  • $90,000,000 in total savings across the organization

  • 50% reduction in the number of specifications, resulting in a more harmonized and manageable packaging portfolio

  • Menu card development for new products and line extensions across multiple brands, enabling faster and more consistent packaging decisions

  • Reduced material complexity and costs through the rationalization of structures, resins, and film thicknesses

  • Improved governance and control of packaging data, with standardized specifications managed internally

These results delivered both immediate financial savings and long-term strategic benefits.

This isn't just a fix. It’s a transformation.

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