Benchmarking Reports

2024 Technical Services Best Practices Report, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines industry practices from a 2024 member survey and interviews conducted through early 2025 and benchmarks responses across company sizes and revenue tiers. Focus areas include workforce development and retention, training and knowledge capture, compensation and work/life balance, and service delivery optimization such as proactive triage and remote monitoring adoption. The analysis indicates leaders tend to blend in-house and e-learning, cross-train technicians on assembly and field work, and combine individual and team incentives; charts highlight adoption patterns and organizational models. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

Service Rates Quickie Survey, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines year-end 2024 service pricing and compensation practices across a 101-respondent sample of PMMI members and benchmarks them against prior-year data. The analysis identifies focus areas including pricing strategy and special-rate policies (weekend and holiday surcharges such as Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays), travel and chargeback practices, warranty and contract approaches, and technician pay and per-diem structures; emerging patterns indicate inflation-driven rate adjustments and revenue-range variation. Charts highlight comparative rate tiers and policy adoption trends, and the analysis generally shows pragmatic trade-offs between margin protection and customer relationships. The report reveals where service leaders are prioritizing investments to protect margins and improve uptime.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems Quickie Survey, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines CRM adoption and practices among PMMI members using an August 2024 quick survey across multiple revenue bands. The analysis indicates focus areas around CRM selection and migration, ERP integration and data flow, and cross‑functional access and adoption, with insights on commonly tracked data points such as lead and opportunity management and pipeline tracking. Emerging patterns indicate trade‑offs between customization, maintenance burden, and user adoption, and charts highlight integration degrees and access patterns across departments. Download the full report to discover where organizations are prioritizing CRM investments to improve cross‑functional visibility and operational resilience.

CE Requirements for European Authorized Representative, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines how member manufacturers approach CE compliance and the role of Authorized Representatives in regulatory liaison and technical-file management. Drawing on an August 2024 PMMI quick survey of member firms and comparative context across company sizes and market-entry strategies, the analysis indicates recurring focus areas—compliance approaches and partnerships, custody and administration of technical documentation, and coordination with European authorities—where patterns tend to vary by market presence and regional shifts such as Brexit. Charts highlight adoption patterns and service models; download the full report to explore practical compliance decision points for manufacturers navigating CE requirements in Europe.

Stipend Pay for Engineers Quickie Survey, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in May 2024, examines how member companies approach stipend and premium policies for salaried engineers based on a member survey across revenue bands and company types. The analysis indicates common focus areas—compensation design and travel policy, including standard company rates, hourly travel rates, or flat daily amounts; role classification and expectations versus time-off tradeoffs; and weekend/holiday differentials tied to performance incentives. Emerging patterns show practices tend to vary by company size and operational model, and charts highlight comparative benchmarks and policy variation. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

Sales Teams and Tools Quickie Survey, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines current sales enablement practices across member companies based on a February 2024 quick survey of 55 respondents. The analysis indicates three focus areas: sales enablement and tool adoption, including SharePoint, Salesforce, and Dropbox; sales-team composition and resourcing; and CRM/ERP integration with marketing and data workflows. Emerging patterns show organizations tend to prioritize familiar, internally hosted platforms while adoption of specialized enablement systems generally varies by company size and digital readiness, and charts highlight benchmarks for inside versus external sales mix and training needs. The report reveals where sales and enablement leaders are prioritizing investments to strengthen commercial effectiveness.

2020 Trends in Adoption of Remote Access, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in February 2024, examines how manufacturers are deploying remote connectivity and support tools across operations. Based on a quick early 2024 survey and firmographic benchmarking across revenue bands, the analysis indicates adoption trajectories and staffing trade-offs. Key focus areas include digital-tool adoption and cybersecurity posture, departmental resourcing and knowledge capture from HR and IT to engineering, and operational continuity and version control, including helpdesk, project management, and aftermarket support. Charts highlight comparative staffing and adoption trends, and emerging patterns show larger firms tend to centralize specialized roles. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

Benefits Packages at PMMI Member Companies, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines benefits offerings and employer cost-sharing across member firms using a quick survey of OEMs and suppliers across North America conducted in early 2024. The analysis provides benchmark context by revenue bands and focuses on three core areas: insurance and premium coverage (including medical, dental, and vision), retirement and 401(k) contribution practices, and time-off, leave and flexible-work policies (from PTO and bereavement leave to work‑from‑home options). Emerging patterns indicate common approaches to premium sharing and matching contributions and varied PTO structures; charts highlight these comparative trends. The report reveals where member companies are prioritizing benefits investments to strengthen workforce resilience.

Creating SOPs, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in December 2023, examines SOP adoption and perceived value across member organizations. Based on a quick PMMI member survey and benchmarks by company size and revenue, the analysis indicates most organizations document SOPs and generally find benefits outweigh the time investment; responsibility for SOP creation tends to vary from centralized teams to department ownership, with common owners including engineering, human resources, and project management. Focus areas include SOP development, knowledge capture and training, and digital-tool adoption and version control, and charts highlight cross-segment patterns and gaps. Download the full report to learn where organizations are prioritizing SOP investments to strengthen operational consistency and resilience.

ERP/CRM Software Quickie Survey, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in December 2023, examines ERP and CRM adoption, usage roles, and integration practices based on a 54‑respondent quick survey across defined revenue bands. The analysis indicates three focus areas: vendor mix and role alignment, including common choices such as Salesforce, Dynamics, and QuickBooks; integration and system architecture, where integration with engineering and mixed file‑server/cloud deployments tend to vary by company size; and cloud adoption with attendant cybersecurity concerns, which charts highlight as a prevalent issue. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

Technician Requests during Customer Strikes, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in November 2023, examines how members handle requests to deploy field technicians when customer plants experience operator or maintenance strikes. Drawing on a November 2023 quick survey of PMMI members and benchmarked across revenue bands, the analysis indicates persistent prioritization of technician safety, formal and informal service agreements, and the commercial terms that govern emergency support. Focus areas include workforce safety and staffing readiness, service-agreement design and fee structures, and customer relationship management and expectations, including safety protocols, fee arrangements, and technician willingness; charts highlight variation by company size. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

Hybrid/Remote Work Schedules Quickie Survey, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in November 2023, examines how member organizations across revenue bands are adopting hybrid and remote policies and the operational effects of those choices. Drawing on a quick survey of industry members, the analysis indicates trade-offs across two core focus areas—workforce and culture (retention, morale, onboarding and perceived fairness) and operational coordination and tools (productivity, collaboration, meeting volume and remote-access workflows, including machine debugging). Charts highlight common challenges such as reduced informal knowledge transfer and scheduling friction, and emerging patterns show firms tend to prioritize clearer meeting governance and digital collaboration tools. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

Warranty Practices Quickie Survey, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in November 2023, examines warranty terms and vendor service models based on member quick-survey responses across revenue bands and benchmark comparisons. The analysis indicates three focus areas: coverage timing and triggers, warranty scope and service-delivery models, and policy variability and contractual negotiation; emerging patterns show differences by company size and market segment. Charts highlight variability in practices, and examples include shipment versus installation triggers, parts-only versus parts-and-labor coverage, and full versus selective extended warranties. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

24/7 Customer Support Quickie Survey, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines how members manage, staff, and monetize round‑the‑clock phone support drawing on an October 2023 quick‑survey of 26 respondents across revenue ranges. The analysis indicates three focus areas: service models and pricing (from yearly contracts to per‑call invoicing), workforce design and compensation (dedicated teams, service teams, shift frequency), and technology standardization and vendor choice (PLC preferences and supplier shifts). Emerging patterns show larger firms tend to offer bundled support while others charge or outsource, and charts highlight staffing and charging benchmarks for peer comparison. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

Payment Theft and Fraud Quickie Survey, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines member experiences with mailed-payment risk and mitigation practices based on an October 2023 quick survey of PMMI members and benchmarked across revenue segments. The analysis indicates emerging focus areas around payment-method shifts and transaction security, including increased use of electronic transfers and broader card acceptance; mail-handling and logistics controls such as trackable commercial carriers; and operational risk monitoring and frequency benchmarking to guide policy. Charts highlight comparative trends by revenue band and common prevention actions. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

Managing Obsolescence, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in October 2023, examines how manufacturers and suppliers manage equipment end-of-life, parts availability, and aftermarket strategies. Drawing on a quick survey of PMMI members across revenue bands and benchmarked against typical lifecycle windows, the analysis indicates varied obsolescence policies and multi-year support horizons. Focus areas include obsolescence planning and lifecycle policy, aftermarket solutions and retrofit approaches including retrofit kits and redesign efforts, and documentation with supplier engagement for parts continuity. Emerging patterns show larger organizations tend to formalize timelines while others manage case-by-case, and charts highlight comparative trends and support-duration ranges. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

Best Practice: Transitioning Flexible Materials, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in Summer 2023, examines the operational, technical, and supply-chain considerations for switching flexible films in CPG operations. Drawing on PMMI survey data and insights from an expert solutions group convened via the OpX Leadership Network, the analysis indicates key focus areas: design and development (feasibility, lab testing, regulatory compliance), pilot and equipment decisions (legacy versus new equipment, CAPEX/TCO assessments), and scale-up and operations (supply-chain scaling, preventative maintenance, operator training). Charts highlight comparative benchmarks and emerging patterns that tend to inform decision gates and risk mitigation. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

Manufacturing Reps & Insurance Quickie Survey Results, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in May 2023, examines how manufacturers engage independent sales representatives across revenue bands and the contractual and insurance practices that shape risk allocation. Drawn from a member quick survey and qualitative responses, the analysis focuses on three core areas: rep engagement and contract practices, insurance requirements and liability allocation, and channel contribution to revenue. The analysis indicates larger organizations tend to formalize contracts and insurance expectations while smaller firms often rely on informal arrangements, and charts highlight recurring themes such as perceived lack of need and geographic considerations. The report reveals where manufacturing teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen resilience.

On-Time Deliveries Quickie Survey, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in April 2023, examines how member companies and suppliers are experiencing delays in machinery and spare-parts deliveries amid ongoing supply-chain disruption. Based on a spring 2023 quick survey and benchmarked against 2021 responses, the analysis indicates three focus areas: supply-chain constraints and component shortages, operational bottlenecks such as ERP transitions and workforce strain, and service-level planning for lead times and spare-parts fulfillment. Charts highlight patterns across revenue bands and membership types, and findings generally show firms tending to prioritize line-down responses and inventory strategies such as safety stock and expedited logistics. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

Sales Management Best Practices, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in April 2023, examines member survey data and cross-company benchmarks to assess sales organization design and performance across the packaging and processing sector. The analysis indicates several focus areas — sales structure and product mix (from machines to parts and service), compensation and field activity (including salary-plus-commission models and evolving travel patterns), and enablement practices such as formal training and distributor agreements. Emerging patterns show segmentation by region and account type and differing roles for direct versus indirect channels; charts highlight comparative distributions and compensation approaches. The report reveals where sales leaders are prioritizing investments to strengthen go-to-market resilience.