All members of the packaging supply chain; from the retailer to the brand owners to service providers to contract packagers, and everyone in-between are under pressure to better address the needs of their customers and offer more efficient products and services. In the past this has led to the development of systems that are classified as “disruptive” to address “areas of need” or “pain points” in the process. Some disruptive technologies that have been introduced to the supply chain over the past half-century include; the introduction of recycled board for primary packaging, the use of electro-mechanically engraved gravure cylinders and even the use of flexographic printing for mainstream packaging.

The better we understand how disruptive technologies enter and gain acceptance (or not) in an industry the better we can evaluate if and how we should be participating with this technology. In our report; Is Digital Printing Part of Your Brand or Operational Strategy? we take an in-depth look at the disruptive technology of digital printing for packaging and ask how it might be applied to alleviate “pain” in the supply chain. To do this, we rely on the principals found in the bookCrossing the Chasm by Dr. Geoffrey Moore. First published in 1991,Crossing the Chasm is considered the handbook in understanding the adoption curve of potentially disruptive technologies. Most are familiar with the bell shaped distribution curve that defines the normal life of a product. Dr. Moore addresses why some technologies succeed while others fail by expanding the concepts around the distribution curve.

The Technology Adoption Lifecycle: by Geoffrey Moore