The world of distribution has been exploding in the past few years and there are no signs of it slowing down, thanks in part to the world of e-commerce. With growth and ever changing ideas/regulation, it is vital to keep your packaging up-to-date. That is only one part of what should be looked at, though. There are six main areas that a true packaging professional should help you improve.
In Operational Order…
- Receiving inbound
- Put away
- Storage
- Picking
- Pack out (this is where most packaging companies start and stop their assessment)
- Outbound shipping
It is vital in today’s competitive market that a distribution center stays as cost conscious and lean as possible. This is why it is so important to look at the whole operation rather than just the packaging that goes out the door. It is not uncommon to see more savings in operational costs than anywhere else in your facility.
Premier is an organization that prides itself on going above and beyond for our customers. This is one of the reasons that we look at the whole process of how products flow through a facility rather than just the outbound packaging. Here are some of (but not all) the areas of improvement for each of the categories….
- Receiving Inbound (usually one of the biggest bottlenecks)
Well organized work stations; proper prep materials; ergonomic designs for minimal movement. - Put away
Designed put away carts to maximize the number of items to put away on a cart; proper routing for put away; location of receiving being as close as possible to storage. - Storage
Custom ways to store items on racking/shelving to maximize cubed space, and inventory management while also minimizing put away/pick speeds, product loss/drift, and put away/pick errors. - Picking
Pick carts designed to maximize the number of items to pick on a cart; proper routing; containment of product in transit to prevent errors. - Pack out
Pack stations designed for efficiency and shipping containers that are the right material and size for your products. - Shipping
It is vital to make sure that the packaging is designed with the shipping style and need in mind. (i.e. you would not want to send a small item in a large box due to dimensional weight shipping cost)
At Premier we value our customers and we choose to partner with them to improve their bottom line. It is an old philosophy that still applies today – if you help them they will help you. It is our goal to help our customers and in turn we believe that our chances of earning/keeping their business greatly improves to make a mutually beneficial relationship.
If you have any questions or would like to find out more about our Packaging Assessments please contact us or call us directly at 1-800-518-6305.