Although technical professionals at healthcare packaging companies often do a lot of their work behind the scenes, we enjoy collaborating with our customers and joining their journey to bring new medical devices and pharmaceutical products to market.
Introduction and Background
My name is Jimmy, and I am the Senior Principal Engineer of Technical Services in the Asia Pacific region for Oliver Healthcare Packaging. I came on board three months ago and have over 18 years of experience in Research & Development (R&D), Engineering, Operations, and Project Management. In the past eight years, I worked for medical technology giant Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD), where I worked closely with the regulatory and engineering teams, and the procurement division.
I have accumulated experience in packaging material qualification and process improvement, leading engineering teams in setting up new packaging lines. I also worked in material validation and on continuous improvement projects for existing and new production lines, as well as machine buying and factory acceptance testing.
Common Pitfalls of Packaging
The Asia Pacific region is comprised of many different markets. The commonality among medical device companies in the region is that they have many KPIs to satisfy when they are looking to launch a new product. I love helping customers solve problems. That includes validation issues which can be done in our Technical Centre right in Singapore, where we can work to meet regulations through rigorous testing and collaboration.
Working closely with and listening to the challenges customers face in making improvements to their existing packaging or new packaging requirements is where I do my best work. I strive to help customers avoid these common pitfalls of packaging:
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The medical package design must be sufficiently robust to withstand shipping through different types of climates and a wide range of physical hazards.
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A sterile medical package must be able to maintain its integrity over time. That includes the strength and seal of the bond after heat sealing. A package that holds a sterile medical device not only has to arrive at the end-user free of damage, tears, or broken seals, it must be able to withstand sitting on a shelf, possibly for a few years, without breaking down.
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Labeling must be very clear, easily understood, and well-placed.
Opportunities and Trends in APAC
One trend I am seeing among customers in the industry is around sustainability and ESG. Over the next few months, there has been more dialogue around “reducing packaging waste or using less material” than I have ever heard. Customers are more discerning now about how packaging helps them to achieve their companies’ ESG goals. This is something I can help with by listening to their requirements and trying to recommend the best solutions that meet their sustainable packaging vision and strategy.
I look forward to collaborating closely with our customers at Oliver!
