Growth in Flexible Packaging Is Creating a Coordination Challenge
The flexible packaging sector—pouches, bags, films, wraps, and related formats—is one of the fastest-growing segments in the broader packaging industry. The Flexible Packaging Association reported in its 2024 State of the Industry survey that flexible packaging shipments grew 6.4% year over year, driven by consumer goods, pet food, and fresh produce categories.
That growth is welcome, but it brings complexity. More clients, more SKUs, more artwork revisions, more compliance requirements, and more supplier touch points. For flexible packaging companies that scaled their production infrastructure without scaling their administrative capacity, the gap is showing up in slower response times, missed follow-ups, and stressed internal teams.
Virtual assistants are filling that gap in a growing number of flexible packaging operations.
The Administrative Profile of a Flexible Packaging Order
A single flexible packaging order can pass through a dozen administrative checkpoints: RFQ intake, spec confirmation, dieline distribution, artwork file receipt, prepress review, proof approval, plate order, material procurement, production scheduling, QC sign-off, shipping coordination, and invoice generation. Each checkpoint requires communication—typically email—and documentation.
Multiply that by 30, 50, or 100 active jobs and the communication volume becomes difficult to manage without dedicated support. Yet most flexible packaging companies of 20 to 80 employees do not have a dedicated project coordinator for this function. It falls to account managers and CSRs who are also handling client calls and new business.
Tasks VAs Handle in Flexible Packaging Operations
Virtual assistants in flexible packaging companies most commonly support the following functions:
Artwork and dieline coordination. VAs send dieline templates to clients, receive artwork files, perform a basic preflight check against supplied specifications, and route compliant files to prepress while flagging non-compliant submissions for client correction. This workflow, when owned by a VA, reliably cuts artwork cycle time.
Order tracking and status communication. VAs monitor active jobs in the company's ERP or production management system and send proactive status updates to clients at defined milestones—material receipt, plate approval, production start, and ship date. This reduces inbound "where's my order?" calls and improves the client experience.
Supplier follow-up. Flexible packaging relies on a web of substrate, ink, and adhesive suppliers. VAs manage PO confirmations, delivery tracking, and lead-time updates—escalating potential delays before they affect production schedules.
Quote follow-up. VAs track open quotes and send structured follow-up emails to prospects who have not responded, ensuring that sales opportunities don't go cold between conversations.
Industry Data Supports the Shift
A 2024 McKinsey & Company analysis of industrial packaging companies found that administrative labor accounts for 22–30% of total operating costs in companies with fewer than 100 employees. Offloading even a portion of that to remote support staff produced measurable margin improvement, with participating companies reporting average cost reductions of 17–23% in administrative overhead within 12 months.
Patricia Ruiz, owner of a flexible packaging converter serving private-label food brands, described her experience in a 2025 Packaging Strategies interview: "I was spending the first 90 minutes of every day triaging emails. Now my VA handles the inbox, I get a daily summary, and I focus on clients and strategy. My sales closed 15% higher last quarter."
Why Flexible Packaging Is Well-Suited to Remote Support
Unlike operations that require physical presence—press operation, QC inspection, shipping—the administrative workflows in flexible packaging are information-based. They happen in email, in ERP systems, in shared drives. A VA with access to those systems and clear process documentation can perform the same coordination work as an on-site administrator, often with greater consistency because the role is dedicated rather than split.
Cloud-based platforms like SAP Business One, Epicor, and industry-specific tools offer the remote access infrastructure that makes VA onboarding practical. Most flexible packaging companies are already using these platforms; adding a VA is a matter of credentialing and training, not new technology.
Flexible packaging companies looking to explore virtual assistant support can review options at Stealth Agents, which specializes in remote staffing for manufacturing and product-based businesses.
Sources
- Flexible Packaging Association, State of the Industry Report, 2024
- McKinsey & Company, Administrative Labor Costs in Industrial Packaging, 2024
- Packaging Strategies, Operator Interview Series, Q1 2025
- Epicor, Flexible Packaging ERP Use Cases, 2024