Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/90739
MANA GEMENT season, Moynihan said. AstraPouch also makes a specialized filler, which retails for about $13,000. 4Parts planning Every packaging story contains some sort of disclaimer advising winemakers that scheduling is vital: From label design and approvals to supply ordering and deliv- ery, one slip can cause a smooth-running operation to founder in expensive last- minute substitutions and mistakes. The biggest producers may hire logistics people to track the supply chain, but the vast majority of wineries cannot afford that luxury. Enter PakTrak, a brand new (official debut: January 2013) service from 4Parts Design, a Sausalito, Calif., firm headed by David Hanson-Jerrard, a former executive with Gallo, Trinchero and Lafitte Cork & Capsule. PakTrak is a software-based program to track key packaging materials. It's designed to help wineries "avoid excess inventory, supplemental bottling costs, associated materials.…See the status of all moving parts from label design to glass and everything in between." The concept is based, Hanson-Jerrard said, "on many conversations with wine executives all over the country about their struggles with suppliers—boxes of cap- sules, labels ordered in excess—because for the person in charge, it's not their primary responsibility. They're winemak- ers; ordering and logistics is not the way they work." 4Parts spent 18 months developing PacTrac, testing with one major cli- ent with multiple brands and bottlings. "We developed a system, trying to work through all the problems and enhance- ments. Some software packages have tried to include this as an adjunct. PacTrac is unique, developed by industry people. We had to go through a whole bottling cycle to test it," Hanson-Jerrard said. For smaller wineries reliant on mobile or commercial bottlers, that cycle can be a "major bugaboo," Hanson-Jerrard pointed out. "If they forget to order the right materials, the financial consequences are huge. The capsules don't fit, so they have to use stock capsules: This affects their brand integrity." PakTrak is offered with two ser- vice options. 4Parts can maintain the winery-packaging database, acting as the "center of the wheel" by contacting and coordinating with all vendors and keeping the winery advised. This can be an especially efficient option, since 4Parts may be in touch with the same vendors for multiple clients. For option two, wineries might prefer to cultivate personal relationships with suppliers. PacTrac will provide reports to both winery and suppliers. "One of our unusual components, clients have told us: Our pricing works. They pay a set amount by brand; it wouldn't be fair for us to bid it like a subscription," Hanson-Jerrard said. "We are the opposite of tech people. The best word to describe our work: milestones." Whether your packaging logistics could use a kick in the pants, or you just need a gentle tap on the shoulder, this new service can provide reminders to keep you on track. Time to go shopping Perhaps these previews have sparked your interest, or maybe you're in the market for something specific. We recommend you visit the packaging suppliers listed on page 55 for more inspiration. The time is right: Mind your milestones. 40 WINES & VINES NOVEMBER 2012