Any online store, shipper, or company that moves products should take protective packaging into account. If you frequently transport hundreds or thousands of goods, even a slight reduction in protective packing can result in significant annual savings.
Careful examination of how you manage your protective packaging is crucial.
Improving Materials Storage and Packaging Lines
Think about the design of your warehouse. Are packing supplies orderly in their storage? Is there a method to make your plan more efficient and hasten the packing procedure as a whole? Try the following actions if you want to enhance your current operations:
- Analyse the product packaging in your existing inventory.
- Find items that are comparable and might be grouped together.
- Group together the packing supplies that aren’t used very often.
You wish to reduce multiple packing lines into a few highly optimal ones. Your facility will save money on labour costs by reducing waste transportation and completing more tasks faster than a dispersed, decentralised operation.
Reduce the Amount of Packing Time with Automation
Will dramatically lowering your unit expenses seriously impair the calibre of your packaging? The good news is that decreasing packing times can increase productivity, which is another efficient way to minimise expenses.
In the packaging process, your staff may be wasting significant time on the following time-consuming tasks:
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- Corrugated cardboard construction
- Assembling and securing cartons
- Inserting dividers or stuffing materials
- Fastening and taping boxes
An automated packing line will benefit your operations in the following ways:
Enhanced Output: Your picking and packaging processes are sped up by automation, increasing the profitability of your company.
Minimising Carbon Footprint: A lot of waste results from manual sealing. The precise amount of material required is only ever used by an automated machine.
Reduce Workplace Accidents: Automation lowers the danger of repetitive strain injuries, lowering absenteeism and the possibility of occupational injury claims.
Boost Your Company’s Standing: Precision is introduced by machinery, providing you with flawlessly packaged and secured goods. As a result, you can give your customers a product that looks better and the risk of damage is lower.
Minimise Returns by Ensuring Products are Properly Packaged and Transported
Product damage has a painful financial impact on your company. Manufacturing, packaging, transporting, and returning a product that a client returns are all considered sunk expenses. Furthermore, you risk losing that customer forever since they might never buy from you again or, worse still, they’ll tell everyone they know about their bad experience on social media.
Poor packaging and damage during transit are the two main reasons why products are damaged.
Rethink Your Packaging Operations Model
Just-in-Time (JIT) manufacturing has gained popularity among manufacturers. With the help of this strategy, they may significantly lower their inventory, freeing both cash and warehouse space. To prevent stockouts and unhappy consumers, they nevertheless calculate their needs using maths.
This model can be used for your packing. The earlier-discussed packing supplies require a substantial amount of storage space. Large quantities of paper, corrugated cardboard, and plastic that you need to package and ship items can cause you trouble finding space.
Vary Your Packaging Costs Based on the Durability of Goods
Not all of your products demand the utmost focus. Some goods are stronger than others. Others must be more aesthetically beautiful. Sort your products according to their package type:
Durable: It will do to use open containers with coverings to keep dirt and debris It will do to use an open container with coverings to keep dirt and debris out.
- Benchmark: Packaging is only 2% of the product’s cost. Packaging is only 2% of the product’s Packaging is only 2% of the product’s cost.
Fragile: Product security requires internal components. Materials for packaging are required to prevent movement during transit.
- Benchmark: 3 to 7% of product cost for packaging
Marketing Resource: These materials are more expensive since product design and expert printing services are needed.
- Benchmark: Cost of packaging ranges from 3 to 7% of the product price.
Complex: The packaging for these products must be complex. They can have sensitive machinery or calibrated parts. They need packaging that is specific, unique, and extremely durable.
- Benchmark: 8 to 10% of product cost for packaging
Right-Sizing Your Protective Packaging
The size of the box being used, as well as the proper sizing of your foam and dunnage, are of the utmost importance. When the packaging is too small, there is a chance that the items will be harmed, and when it is too large, expenses may increase or there may be less effective protection as the products move inside the container.
Utilising the proper size for your packaging requirements depends on the dimensions, shape, and weight of each item. The objective is to select the proper box and protective packing that allows the products to be adequately cushioned while also preventing it from shifting too much during transit.
Selecting the Right Materials
Make sure you get the right foam for cushioning your specific product. A thorough evaluation of your valuables and the protection they require will minimise damage claims. Different varieties of foam are more successful at safeguarding items from certain environmental risks. It is crucial to think about the protection that your products, including those that are sensitive to require.
- Electrostatic discharges
- Abrasive surface
- Hot or cold temperatures
- Moisture or humidity
To make sure you choose the best solutions for your needs, carefully weigh the numerous advantages and disadvantages of each type of foam that is available.
Work with the Right Foam Provider
Nobody knows your items as well as you do. The best foam supplier will collaborate with you to select cost-effective protective packaging that is also effective. As product loss due to damage in transit and the implementation of efficient and cost-effective solutions will result in a larger margin for your items, working with a dependable partner will undoubtedly cut your costs. The ideal foam supplier will have access to a range of foam kinds, bespoke fabrication for safe packaging, and huge production runs of custom foam pieces that enable you to buy what you require in bulk over the long term.
