Benchmarking Reports

Hourly Field Service Technicians Snapshot Survey, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in April 2022, examines industry practices for managing and compensating hourly field service technicians across participating manufacturers and service providers. Drawing on a cross-section of anonymous survey responses and benchmarking against peer practices, the analysis indicates focus areas including workforce scheduling and retention (minimum guaranteed hours and pay structures), travel-time compensation policies (from door-to-door pay to variable FLSA-based approaches), and operational consistency and documentation. Emerging patterns generally show preferences for predictable pay models and clearer travel policies; charts highlight comparative trends and gaps that warrant deeper review. The report reveals where service leaders are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

2022 Engineering Services Best Practices, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines engineering operations across packaging machinery firms based on PMMI’s triennial survey of member companies, grouped by revenue bands and reported in March 2022. The analysis indicates several focus areas—workforce development and retention, including professional development via seminars, trade shows and classes; knowledge capture and documentation to mitigate retirements and turnover; and digital-tool adoption and version control such as PLM and versioning systems—where emerging patterns show varied maturity across company sizes, and charts highlight comparative benchmarks and strategic trade-offs. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

Supply Chain Quickie Survey, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines March 2022 member responses to assess how material and component shortages, transport delays, and sourcing challenges are affecting OEM operations. The analysis indicates primary focus areas: materials and components (metals, plastics, automation parts) and transportation and logistics (air, ocean, land), plus mitigation strategies and commercial impacts such as inventory, supplier diversification, and pricing approaches. Emerging patterns show companies tend to extend lead times, increase safety stock, and redesign for substitute parts; charts highlight extended procurement timelines and mitigation mixes across revenue segments. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

Benefits Quickie Survey, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in February 2022, examines employer benefit offerings captured in a member survey. Using cross‑sectional responses and benchmarks by revenue range, the analysis focuses on core benefits and retirement plans, including medical and dental coverage and 401(k) options; part‑time versus full‑time eligibility and paid time off and leave structures; and atypical perks and remote‑work practices. Emerging patterns indicate larger firms tend to offer broader flexible plans and retirement matching, while smaller firms generally show more conservative PTO and eligibility rules; charts highlight variation by revenue range. The report reveals where companies are prioritizing benefits investments to strengthen recruitment, retention, and resilience.

OEM Sales to Contract Packaging and Manufacturing Operations Quickie Survey, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in February 2022, examines OEM engagement with contract packagers and manufacturers based on a PMMI member survey and verbatim responses. The analysis indicates key focus areas: market segmentation and customer mix, from nutraceuticals to beverages; machinery and automation demand, including integrated lines, robots and vision systems; operational flexibility and rapid changeover; and specification and delivery dynamics such as who generates technical specs and preferences for leasing or turnkey solutions. Charts highlight adoption patterns and emerging supplier priorities that generally indicate a tilt toward automation and versatility. 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 service pricing and field operations across member companies. As of December 31, 2021, the analysis draws on a 98-respondent member survey and benchmarking by company revenue to provide comparative context. Focus areas include pricing and premium practices, travel and layover billing, and warranty, contract and quoting approaches, alongside technician compensation and workforce pressures. The analysis indicates consistent use of premium timing for weekends and holidays, varied travel-charge conventions, and a tendency to bundle warranty differently by firm size; charts highlight variation by revenue tier and region. Download the full report to see how peers are structuring rates and prioritizing service investments.

Supply Chain Quickie Survey, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines supply-chain disruptions and mitigation strategies reported by members during 2020–2021 and aggregates survey responses and operational notes from manufacturers and suppliers. The analysis indicates recurring focus areas—sourcing and supplier diversification alongside inventory and lead-time management, transportation and logistics resilience, and supplier collaboration with pricing and customer communication—and highlights practical tactics, including alternative vendors, increased safety stock, and air-freight or regional warehousing. Charts highlight comparative trends across company sizes and timeframes, and emerging patterns generally show greater mitigation adoption among larger firms. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

Sales Leads Quickie Survey, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in May 2021, examines how member companies acquire, qualify and convert sales leads using a targeted membership survey and cross–company benchmarking. The analysis indicates three strategic focus areas—channel performance and acquisition (including website, email and referrals), conversion and time‑to‑sale dynamics, and lead ownership and nurture practices—where patterns generally vary by company size. Charts highlight comparative channel effectiveness and lag times, and verbatim feedback points to attribution and follow‑up gaps. Discover where sales and marketing teams are prioritizing investments to accelerate pipeline conversion.

Digital Technical Documentation Quickie Survey, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in April 2021, examines how manufacturers across revenue bands offer, secure, and charge for print and digital technical documentation. Drawing on a 2021 industry quick survey, the analysis indicates comparative patterns in distribution, customer acceptance, and cost allocation that inform benchmark practices. Focus areas include delivery and access methods such as emailed files, USB drives, and website downloads, digital security and version control, and charging and overhead approaches. Charts highlight tendencies by company size and verbatim responses illustrate operational trade-offs; the report reveals where teams are prioritizing investments to modernize documentation workflows.

Service Contracts Quickie Survey, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines how manufacturers use and structure service contracts across the membership and across revenue ranges based on a March 2021 membership survey. Drawing on respondent feedback and comparative benchmarks by company size, the analysis indicates patterns in adoption and sales models, contract terms and pricing, and remote/digital support capabilities. Focus areas include adoption and go-to-market models, service composition and pricing (including scheduled maintenance, machinery audits, and training), and remote-support enablement such as AR; charts highlight adoption patterns and contract structures. The report reveals where manufacturers are prioritizing service investments to enhance uptime and recurring revenue.

Benefits Quickie Survey Results, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines employer benefit practices based on a March 2021 member survey of over a hundred respondents across North American locations and multiple revenue bands, and analyzes program features against internal benchmarks and peer comparisons. Focus areas include core health and financial coverage and premium-sharing structures; time-away policy design and tenure-based PTO accruals; family and leave programs such as maternity, paternity and parental options, and nontraditional perks including casual dress, tuition reimbursement and employee assistance. The analysis indicates emerging patterns in how organizations balance attraction, retention and cost management, and charts highlight variation by company size. The report reveals where employers are prioritizing investments to strengthen workforce resilience.

2021 Technical Services Best Practices, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines field service operations and support models using March 2021 survey data and executive interviews across company sizes. The analysis indicates three focus areas: workforce development and retention, spanning recruiting, compensation and incentives; training and knowledge capture, such as on‑the‑job programs and tech‑school partnerships; and service delivery models, from in‑plant utilization to virtual FATs that shape operational readiness. Emerging patterns show companies tending to maximize technician downtime for training and to experiment with digital tools, while charts highlight comparative utilization and billing contexts. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

On-Time Deliveries Quickie Survey, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines shipping and parts-delivery impacts reported by member OEMs and suppliers in a March 2021 member survey and benchmarking across revenue bands. The analysis identifies three focus areas—supply-chain and logistics (port congestion and freight capacity), supplier reliability and component availability (including semiconductor and outsourced parts), and inventory and operational strategies (such as increased safety stock and alternative sourcing)—and indicates delays tend to stem from upstream supplier constraints and logistics bottlenecks. Charts highlight comparative patterns by revenue and membership type. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

Sales Commissions Quickie Survey Results, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in February 2021, examines how member companies manage sales commissions when orders are canceled, returned, or defaulted at different project stages. Drawing on a membership survey and verbatim comments, the analysis indicates primary focus areas: commission triggers and timing from prepayment to installation, contingency and clawback policies tied to amounts retained, and compensation models and incentives such as salary versus commission or booking-credit approaches; governance and case-by-case evaluation also surface as themes. Charts highlight variation by contract terms and company size, and the report reveals where organizations are refining commission practices to balance incentives with financial risk.

Telephone Technical Support Quickie Survey, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines how members use and value phone-based technical support based on a February 2021 membership survey. The analysis indicates a mix of approaches across firms, with focus areas that include monetization and billing complexity, warranty and ownership-transfer policies, and service delivery and tooling (such as web portals, prepaid time blocks, and tiered contracts). Emerging patterns show firms tend to balance customer-retention priorities against operational cost pressures, and charts highlight variation by company size and support model. Download the full report to see where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

Machinery Shipments Quickie Survey, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines year‑over‑year shifts in U.S. packaging and processing machinery shipments between 2019 and 2020 based on a PMMI member survey. The analysis indicates divergent demand across end markets and business sizes, with focus areas including market‑segmentation and demand shifts (for example, food and e‑commerce), operational resilience and backlog dynamics (from booking volatility to shipping and installation delays), and workforce and logistics pressures such as travel restrictions and personnel impacts. Emerging patterns show service and aftermarket revenues behaving differently than core machinery sales, and charts highlight comparative trends by revenue range. The report reveals where engineering and operations teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

Marketing Practices Quickie Survey, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines marketing strategies among members based on a January 2021 quick survey drawing responses from over 130 organizations across revenue and employee-size bands. The analysis indicates focus areas—team structure and resourcing (in-house versus agency models, role mixes and compensation), channel mix and effectiveness (digital channels including email, LinkedIn and video platforms and traditional channels such as trade shows and brochures), and budget allocation with a near-even digital/traditional split benchmarked by company size. Charts highlight usage patterns and perceived effectiveness, while qualitative comments indicate shifting investment priorities amid event disruption. The report reveals where marketing leaders are prioritizing investments to sharpen go-to-market effectiveness.

Remote Equipment Training Quickie Survey Results, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines remote training adoption among CPG equipment providers based on a November 2020 survey of 52 respondents. The analysis indicates a notable uptake of remote delivery and identifies three focus areas, including digital-tool adoption such as video conferencing, MS Teams and VR/AR, training measurement and maturity from feedback to machine metrics, and service models and pricing. Emerging patterns show limitations around scheduling and equipment complexity that tend to shape delivery and charge models; charts highlight adoption trends, measurement approaches and revenue-band differences. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

Pricing Prototype Machinery Survey Results, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in November 2020, examines how manufacturers approach pricing, contract structures, and risk management for first-of-a-kind machines based on a 2020 member survey. The analysis indicates common focus areas include pricing approach and contract design, from set prices to time-and-materials and not-to-exceed terms; risk mitigation and project governance, including engineering orders, proof-of-principle and scope control; and cost recovery strategies and amortization planning. Emerging patterns show firms emphasize customer communication and validation such as proof-of-principle testing and detailed design reviews, and charts highlight trade-offs between commercial entry and technical uncertainty. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

Shipping Costs Quickie Survey Results, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in November 2020, examines how member companies approach marking up domestic and international freight and related invoice practices. Drawing on a member survey across revenue bands, the analysis compares policies for machinery versus parts and explores breakout practices for crating and export charges. Focus areas include markup and pricing transparency, shipping-partner sourcing and cost drivers, and operational controls for accessorials and expedited services; emerging patterns indicate firms tend to balance overhead recovery with competitive positioning. Charts highlight variance by company size and shipping type. The report reveals where companies are adjusting pricing practices to protect margins and serve customers.