Packaging is changing across the board, and in one area of focus, is smart packaging. Smart packaging is the implementation of digital technology, in order to engage with customers and enhance not just product presentation, but safety and quality measures as well.

Smart packaging isn’t just little codes that take you to social media sites, it’s scanning to find out the freshness of your food, and if it’s safe to eat. It’s being used in pharmaceuticals, food, and even retail, in order to enhance the experience, making it even better for people. 

Types of Smart Packaging 

Smart packaging requires a lot of unique features that go along with this. 

QR codes are a good one.   These are codes that you scan and then look at on your phone, taking you to a website that allows you to interact with the product. Coupons, brand stories, and even contests and incentives to get consumers involved are all a part of smart packaging technology.

NFC chips are chips that allow your packaging to interact with others, such as smart technology. With different sensors, you can create a whole ecosystem that will really enhance your experience as a company.

Finally, there are sensors you can add to your packaging that do wonders on your experience as a company. These are temperature indicators, which can tell you the internal packaging based on what it feels like inside, regardless of the outside temperature. This can also be controlled to cool down or warm up the packaging in order to maintain freshness. 

There are also tracking sensors. Some of them are even properly optimized with the blockchain and other technology. These offer a tracker that customers can use, in order to find out where their packaging is.   While it might seem small, it’s worthwhile, and it can really make your packaging stand out on a whole different level. 

Smart Sensors, Smart Packaging 

Smart packaging is vital for a lot of different industries, including the supply chain. With these sensors, people can see where their items are, and get an accurate idea of where they might be. this is important to make sure that items arrive on time.

The sensors as well, help to keep the products nice and fresh, offering transparency on what you’re getting.   The smart technology isn’t just for the consumer benefit, but the business too. If the sensors are reporting something is amiss in the supply chain, companies can take it upon themselves to analyze what’s really going on. Through this assessment, they can figure out a good solution that will benefit the business, and give their customers a better, high-quality experience of packaging and freshness. 

The challenges of Smart Packaging 

Obviously there’s a lot of good things that smart technology can give you, especially on the tracking side. However, it is not without faults.

This is a newer tech, so it will take a bit longer for a person to implement, especially newer brands and companies. This technical overhead might turn off some companies from using this, or limiting just how much they allow the supply chain to influence everything.

The other drawback is the costs of this packaging.   While it does create problems if you’re not technologically savvy, another issue is the costs of adding these cross. It can be a lot, and much harder to scale as you grow bigger.

Get with a packaging professional to help you implement this, before you get started. That way, you’ll be able to improve the safety and engagement of your items in healthcare, food, and other growing industries.