The top barrier to effective operator training is time. According to PMMI’s Beyond Manuals white paper, 59% of participants say that finding time to train operators amid production demands is their biggest challenge.
“Planning for training versus real-world production priorities—and finding a healthy balance—is where we struggle,” said one attendee.
But time isn’t the only roadblock to operator training turnover (48%), lack of troubleshooting (41%), and different learning styles (33%) were cited as other top challenges.
As a result of these hurdles, OEMs and end users stressed the importance of aligning sooner, starting as early as the RFP stage.
The Business Intelligence Team found that participants generally agreed that OEMs need to tell end users their ideas for training early so that they can budget effectively, while end users should plan properly so they are not asking OEMs for last-minute services outside the scope of the RFP.
Training is often underfunded because it’s not included in capital budgets. Ensuring the cost of training is accurately reflected in budgets can be challenging, as training needs are difficult to predict.
One end user said their solution is to “typically, even if I don’t know, I put an extra little bit of budget for training.” An OEM addressed this issue by offering four levels of training in all its proposals so end users can choose according to their needs, with refunds given for any unused training modules.
Ultimately, training gaps on modern lines stem less from a lack of options and more from a lack of alignment, timing, and funding. As complexity and turnover increase, CPGs that work with OEMs early—and treat training like any other line-critical investment—will gain the operational edge.
SOURCE: 2025 Beyond Manuals: Setting the Right Expectations for Operator Training on Modern Packaging Lines
For more insights from PMMI’s Business Intelligence team, find reports, including Beyond Manuals: Setting the Right Expectations for Operator Training on Modern Packaging Lines, Inside the Workforce Gap, and The New Material World: Packaging’s Path Toward Sustainability at https://www.pmmi.org/business-intelligence.
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