Resource Planning for 2026: How Packaging Departments Can Do More with Less

January 09,2026 Category: Staffing, Packaging Development


As packaging development and engineering departments plan for 2026, they are facing a growing challenge. Budgets remain tight, timelines are shortening, and goals are growing. Teams are being challenged to deliver  cost improvement, sustainability progress, regulatory compliance, and innovation with fewer internal resources. 
 

“From my experience leading a global packaging organization at Pfizer, proactive resource and project planning at the start of the year allows pharmaceutical packaging organizations to identify where and when specialized expertise and resources are required—ensuring business needs are met, strategic imperatives move forward, and when the unexpected occurs, you can pivot accordingly.” 
- Jim Regan, Head of Packaging Consulting Services, Pharmaceutical 


The Challenge: More Goals with Fewer Resources 

Volatility, inflation, and emerging EPR requirements are making it harder to forecast costs and timelines. At the same time, packaging teams must support initiatives that cannot be delayed. This creates a growing gap between what needs to be delivered, and the capabilities and capacity needed to do the work. 

Effective leaders start by quantifying those gaps: 

  • What are the corporate and functional goals for 2026 
  • What skills and capacity are required to achieve them 
  • Where shortages or constraints exist 

The Solution: Evaluate Your Options and Build an Informed Plan 

Once gaps are clear, organizations typically have three resourcing options: 

  • Build internally to develop long-term, company-specific expertise 
  • Hire contractors for speed, flexibility, and specialized skills 
  • Outsource work to partners who can deliver the outcomes and results you need efficiently 

The right mix depends on budget, urgency, and complexity. 

Key Areas of Focus for 2026 

Resource gaps are most commonly emerging in: 

How Adept Helps 

Adept provides packaging leaders by aligning resources to goals, budgets, and timelines. The market conditions have evolved significantly over the past years, and the options available today are not the same as a few years ago.  

Here are a few examples of options available today:  

  • Contracting: Adept provided a large beverage client with a proposal for ~$20M in tariff-related cost savings with a 4–6-month timeline and started the project within a week and delivered on time and on budget.  
  • EPR Data Management: Adept electronically ingests and manipulates packaging data for faster and more accurate EPR reporting at a fraction of the cost of doing it manually.  

“After years leading packaging organizations at General Mills, Cretex, and other CPG and medical device manufacturers, I’ve learned that early planning is where the real advantage is built—aligning cost savings, sustainability, quality, NPI, and regulatory priorities with the resources needed to deliver. When leaders can tap into trusted external packaging engineering expertise, they gain the flexibility to move faster, manage risks, and keep strategic initiatives on track even as conditions change.” 
- Jason Lubs, Senior Packaging Engineering Manager 
 

The most successful plans start with informed decisions. A short conversation will provide you with your options and turn 2026 planning into an achievable and actionable plan.  

Contact us today to help with your 2026 planning. 


Author: Prateek Lal, Founder & CEO of Adept Group