QRS says their years of experience in dealing with the issues that arise in the development process are what help to set them apart. With their team managing the moving parts, there is only one purchase order to be placed. They timeline each project and have weekly meetings with their customers to ensure the project is going smoothly. You can be involved as much or as little as you prefer—ultimately, the team wants their customers to feel as though QRS is an extension of their team, just sitting in a different office.
 
Here, we get more specifics from team members Becky Staveski, President; Becky Welch, VP of Operations; and Jennifer Corey, Director Business Development.
 
Jamie Matusow: Please describe QRS—and your areas of expertise.  What makes you stand out from other Turnkey suppliers?
Becky Staveski, President: A very standard ask of any supplier is, “What is your core competency, what are you best at?” At QRS, the answer isn’t as simple as one thing. Our team members have decades of experience in package development, in both secondary and primary packaging, as well as in product development. These things are truly our expertise. Our years of experience in dealing with the issues that arise in the development process are what help in setting us apart.
 
We pride ourselves on our offering of turnkey services as it is a bit more niche than the standard offering of “all or nothing.”  We appreciate that working in a turnkey fashion can mean different things to everyone, so we have developed a flexible process to accommodate this. Regardless of the path chosen to best accommodate the customer needs, they will always benefit from our team’s extensive knowledge of both product and package development steps and our handling of all aspects of the project. With our team managing the moving parts, there is only one purchase order to be placed. We timeline each project and have weekly meetings with our customers to ensure that they are on the same page as we are, on all aspects of the project. You can be involved as much or as little as you prefer.  Ultimately, we want our customers to feel as though we are an extension of their team, but who happen to sit in a different office.
 
JM: How do you approach each brand? Is there a common “ask” when meeting new customers?
Jennifer Corey, Director Business Development: That’s an interesting question and to be honest, other than really focusing on how I portray our company and what we have to offer, we approach each meeting differently. Everyone comes at a different point in their project: Some at the very onset of an idea, some upon completion of design and others who have found the things they know they want. And while each brand we work with is so very different, there is typically a very common theme: How can we make our vision a reality? Timing, testing, planning… these are all the common elements that everyone truly shares. And with that, comes what our team really does best: we hold your hand along the path of the project and allay any fears that may arise. Fear I think is a common link for any project as it begins: Will it launch in time, will the testing pass, will we find exactly what we are looking for? QRS takes that fear off the shoulders of our customer by handling all of the details and being completely transparent with the milestones needed to achieve what the customer is looking for.
 
It is imperative to us that we form a true partnership with our customer, and we work very hard to do that with our quality work and our customer service.
 
JM: Are there any common challenges that you tend to spot with each project?
Becky Welch, VP of Operations: Challenges are a common thread throughout any new launch. Delivery timing, design, packaging choices, understanding true costs, are just a few. One that does stand out is the difficulty that can come when working with the labs and contract manufacturers. Communication is so critical at this stage and if the customer does not have the experience and knowledge, it can prove to be quite daunting. Each stage of development, every question asked, each decision made, plays a role in the trajectory of the project. With our team behind you, we will walk through these steps, helping you to make educated decisions and understanding how each decision will affect the launch.
 
Our team at QRS will always share the reality of timing, risks associated with decisions made, and any possible issues that we could see arising—and decide together the best path forward based on the information we have. Again, it goes back to being a true partner. Working with QRS, you get that “one-stop shop” experience and the comfort of knowing you have a team of people that are there every step of the way.