Product distribution shows no signs of slowing down. It is mainly due to the advancements in e-commerce. More and more people are shifting to the online media for the purchases they need to make. In such competitive environment, it becomes very important to make sure that your packaging operations are up-to-date. The most important requirement in today’s competitive environment is mainly associated with the distribution center which needs to be cost conscious and as lean as possible. That is due to the fact that you need to look at the entire process rather looking at the final phase of packaging before the product is sent out for shipping. By looking at the operations, you get an opportunity to save money and make the packaging process as efficient as possible. In this article, we are going to talk about the operational order of shipping. Receiving inbound At this stage, you have to make sure that the work stations are properly organized. The movement should be minimal with ergonomic designs. Put away The put away carts should be designed to hold several items to be put away. Proper routing and establishment of right position, at which the items are to be received, should be ensured. Storage Storage refers to the capacity of racking/shelving where items need to be placed. The purpose of this feature is to maximize the cube space and making the process of inventory management easier. Picking This is where you are going to need right pick carts for the maximum number of items to be picked through the cart. Routing and containment of the product needs to be done with the focus on preventing errors. Pack out These are the packing stations where shipping containers and packing materials are used for the packaging of products. The stations need to be designed for efficiency of operations. Shipping
It is extremely important to make sure that the packaging process focuses on the shipping style and need.
0 Comments
The process of packaging is usually associated with the outer shielding of the product. But the matter of fact is that the inner cushioning is as important as the outer packaging. What’s more interesting here is that the same materials which are used in the creation of outer packaging are used for developing the cushioning inside the boxes. Nearly all of the supplies are made of either plastic or paper. In this article, we are going to talk about the use of paper and inflatables for inner packaging of the products. Paper There are many advantages of paper when it is used for the cushioning of items inside the box. The specific advantage you want to get from the paper use depends upon the type and form of paper you are using. Paper, in its most basic form, is available in rolls and sheets. Then it is run through any specific machinery which turns it into the form of cushioning material that you need for inner packaging. The most commonly used paper for cushioning is usually in the form of crimped log. The crimped paper can absorb shocks quite ideally, and it prevents the inner content from colliding with the box’s walls. While there are many advantages of paper, it certainly has some pitfalls. For instance, it has the capability to compress. This compression can allow the product inside the box to move around and get damaged. And if you are using it in an amount more than what is required, you are essentially adding weight to the package. It will increase your shipping costs if you are doing such with all of the packages. Inflatables Inflatable void cushioning is just another effective way to ensure safety of the products during shipping. This void fill cushioning is usually in the form of air bags. When these bags were introduced in the market, they had the thickness of 2.5mil. This thickness has been brought down to under 1.0mil. But what’s more interesting is that it is strong enough to remain puncture resistant. It is mainly due to the advancements made in the film technology. In a world where issue of packaging waste has become a major concern, the inflatable plastic cushioning remains to be one of the most sustainable ways to ensure safety of the packages during shipping. When these bags are deflated, they are reduced to just 1% of their inflated volume. The major pitfall of these bags is that it is quite difficult for the packers to properly manipulate these bags for proper adjustment of the items inside the box. But then, this difficulty is nothing more than just a learning curve.
|
Jamison Alderman
Blogger. Packaging Expert. An Enthused Traveler ArchivesCategories
All
|