Bobst is now offering a new service called Application Management, which is a hands-on consulting service from concept to shelf.

A brand owner at a medium sized snack company sits in his or her office and signs off on a new brand of peanuts.  A year later, a man walks into a shop, browses the shelves for a snack, likes the look of the packaging and chooses the new brand. 

What the consumer does not know is all the hundreds of major and micro decisions and steps that have led to this point and have influenced his decision in this moment. From the initial concept creation, the target demographic and competitor research, to the flexible packaging design, the substrate selection, weighing environmental impact, protective qualities, cost and more. The prototyping and testing, the mock-ups and functionality evaluations. The printing, the coating, the laminating, the filling and sealing, palletising and the shipping. 

All the steps and strategic decisions made by brand owners and converters along the way, which can make or break a brand, or transform a brand from a mediocre success to a global smash hit. 

Bobst Application Management is a service to support converters and brands on this journey. Bobst Application Management can be scaled to the specific needs of converters and brand owners. Through BOBST Application Management, customers can receive guidance on technologies, raw materials, sustainability, processes, and business cases along the entire packaging value chain.

Application Management is the latest major initiative to help Bobst fulfil its vision to shape the future of the packaging world for its customers, based on the pillars of digitalization, automation, connectivity and sustainability. 

“With over 130 years of leadership in the packaging industry, Bobst is much more than a manufacturer of machines, we are industry experts and thought leaders and can offer significant insight and counsel to our customers,” states Xavier Bonamour, Bobst Application Manager. “We fully understand the pain points and barriers faced by our customers and, with an industry-wide view, we can provide exactly the right solutions and advice for each specific scenario.”   

Bobst Application Management is currently available for flexible packaging and will be available for other industry sectors in the future. It helps customers to match solutions to their specific requirements, addressing their specific pain points while ensuring their business is future proof.  

A typical scenario is when a customer is facing a major decision for their business. Perhaps they are entering a new market or industry, for example moving from labels only into flexible packaging, or they are seeking to enlarge their product portfolio. Bobst will work closely with the customer to plan through potential scenarios and provide insights into the strategic directions most suited to their business in the current and future environment. 

Another typical example is when a customer is thinking more holistically about how to improve a certain element of their business – how to better incorporate sustainability for example. Perhaps the customer is considering polymer versus paper flexible packaging. Bobst has the insights and understanding of market needs on these topics – from the brand owner, converter and consumer perspectives – and the range of solutions available to provide accurate advice and with it, a significant competitive advantage.  

On the other hand, a customer may just want some general counsel and guidance on how to improve their business, ensure they are well prepared for the future, or understand how to get ahead of the competition.

“At Bobst, our business has always started with listening to our customers and truly understanding their challenges so that we can help overcome them, so Application Management is a natural extension of what we do best,” comments Bonamour. “Now, we provide this service in a very tailored and bespoke way, which can really elevate a brand owner’s or converter’s business to the next level.”