Benchmarking Reports

Payment Terms Quickie Survey Results, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines prevailing customer payment terms and negotiation practices based on a mid‑2016 PMMI member survey benchmarking responses across annual sales bands and order types. The analysis indicates common focus areas around payment‑structure design and negotiation flexibility, order‑type differentiation and risk mitigation, and cash‑flow targets and export practices; findings generally show variation between standard and custom equipment and between spares and systems, including down‑payment schedules, pre‑shipment milestones, and net terms. Charts highlight member tendencies to adjust terms by order value and geography, and emerging patterns show growing pressure to accept extended customer terms. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

Telephone Customer Service Quickie Survey Results, June 2016, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines member practices for phone-based technical support and offers a sector benchmark across company sizes. Based on a mid-2016 membership survey, analysis indicates three focus areas: support-pricing and charging policy; warranty and second-owner care; and escalation versus service-contract strategies, with charts highlighting differences by firm size and sales volume. Findings generally show companies tend to provide free basic troubleshooting while reserving billable field service or paid packages for complex cases, and many respondents indicate they are considering formalizing charges or tiered support models. The report reveals where service leaders are prioritizing investments to optimize support economics and customer retention.

E-commerce Quickie Survey Results, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines member adoption of e-commerce through a June 2016 benchmarking survey across revenue bands and implementation stages. The analysis indicates adoption tends to be limited among firms that build custom machinery, with common barriers including technical expertise constraints, system integration gaps and the fit of e-commerce for custom sales. Focus areas include adoption and integration (ERP, CRM, accounting), workflow automation and order-to-shipment processes, and user experience for aftermarket parts. Charts highlight comparative patterns across sales bands and maturity cohorts, and qualitative comments generally show cautious, incremental implementation approaches. The report reveals where packaging and processing firms are prioritizing investments to scale online sales and streamline system integration.

PLC Software Update Communication Benchmark, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines how member organizations communicate PLC software updates to customers based on a June 2016 survey of industry respondents. It focuses on update cadence and communication practices, commercial/service models for charging and maintenance scheduling, and handling of custom versus standard equipment; emerging patterns indicate many firms update on periodic and as-needed cycles and tend to vary customer notification and pricing depending on function and urgency. Charts highlight common update triggers such as safety, hardware/firmware changes, and new features, while case examples suggest service-pack and maintenance-schedule approaches differ by customer need. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

Paid Time Off Survey Results (March 2016), published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines employer approaches to PTO across manufacturing firms using survey responses from a cross-section of organizations and benchmarked size cohorts. The analysis indicates recurring focus areas—plan structure and leave bundling, accrual and allocation rhythms, and year-end handling—where emerging patterns show preferences for separate “bucket” plans or all-inclusive models and varied practices for accrual versus annual allocation, rollover or partial payout. Charts highlight tenure-based allocations and cross-industry contrasts, while comparative context provides practical benchmarks for HR and operations. The report reveals where manufacturers are prioritizing PTO design to balance retention and operational continuity.

Sales and Marketing Best Practices, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in March 2016, examines sales and marketing structures and administrative policies using a 2015 member survey and comparative benchmarks across company sizes and selling-price segments. The analysis indicates core focus areas, including sales organization and compensation such as segmentation, manager roles and incentive models; channel and partner strategies such as distributor and OEM policies and commission approaches; and digital enablement and CRM, including website use and internet marketing, with workforce development and training woven through. Charts highlight recurring patterns and cross-segment comparisons that tend to inform strategy decisions. The report reveals where sales and marketing leaders are prioritizing investments to strengthen go-to-market resilience.

Accumulators, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in February 2016, examines usage, design preferences and business rationale for accumulators based on a PMMI member benchmarking survey. The analysis indicates recurring focus areas: technology evaluation and placement — whether teams routinely include accumulation in new-line projects and prefer floor-level versus vertical solutions, operational performance and controls — how accumulation supports downstream flow, buffering and line balancing and the role of HMI and real-time analytics, and investment justification — thresholds and capital allocation across company sizes. Charts highlight comparative patterns across line types and sales bands, and emerging patterns show trade-offs between space, access and uptime. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

Working with Partners and Suppliers, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in January 2016, examines how manufacturing organizations engage external partners and suppliers across project lifecycles, drawing on a quick member survey spanning company types and revenue tiers. The analysis indicates three focus areas: delivery and compliance, where priorities tend to be meeting lead times and adhering to company and industry standards and customer specifications; collaborative value and technical alignment, including sharing drawings and offering unique value‑add services; and support and relationship models, such as rapid field response and a modest preference for supplier over partner arrangements; charts highlight these comparative patterns. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.