For a growing number of CPG manufacturers, the value of an OEM relationship no longer ends at the loading dock. Customers increasingly want equipment suppliers to act as long-term partners invested in operational outcomes, not vendors who deliver a machine and move on.
According to PMMI's 2026 Innovation for Packaging and Processing OEMs report, end users interviewed by PMMI's Business Intelligence team described a consistent gap between what OEMs offer and the engagement they actually want.
"We need our OEMs to be lifecycle partners—not to stop when they sell the equipment," one customer said. Another said, "If a vendor wants to put a piece of equipment on the dock and walk away, that's not a good relationship with me."
Timing emerged as a defining theme. Customers said the most valuable collaboration happens well before a purchase order, or even an RFP, is on the table.
"The earlier we get people involved in the process, the more it impacts the end result," one manufacturer said. "If we lock in on a design and then go to the vendor, it costs three times as much to make." Several customers pointed to material suppliers as a benchmark, noting those partners already engage in day-to-day conversations about where the business is heading.
The interviews also revealed what customers are not looking for. They aren't thinking feature-first; instead, they want OEMs that lead with operational impact and an understanding of the business before a spec exists. Customers want partners willing to help define and shape the problem rather than wait to be briefed.
Equally important is innovation that works within existing operations rather than around them. Customers expressed strong interest in maximizing their current asset base through audits, retrofits, and engineering consulting, yet felt OEMs were often less inclined to engage there.
"I really care about how we maximize our current asset base—and OEMs seem less inclined to engage on that," a CPG respondent said.
For OEMs, the takeaway is a redefinition of competitive advantage. The suppliers customers remember are those who show up early and treat lifecycle support as core to the offering, not an add-on after the sale.
SOURCE: 2026 Innovation for Packaging and Processing OEMs
For more insights from PMMI's Business Intelligence team, find reports, including Innovation for Packaging and Processing OEMs, From Complexity to Capability, and Building an AI Advantage in Packaging Equipment at https://www.pmmi.org/business-intelligence.
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