Our world is full of on-demand services for customers and on-demand digital content for everyone. We’re also seeing manufacturing shift to providing on-demand services and products for other businesses, ranging from labor source to packaging. What is on-demand packaging and how can it benefit your business?
An Overview of On Demand Packaging
On-demand packaging refers to packaging created per custom specifications; in short, you can get custom boxes to fit your product and production line. In many cases, the on-demand packaging is shipped when you need it instead of produced in massive volumes and then delivered to your business. How does on-demand packaging help your business?
Minimal Inventory Costs
If you’re just starting off, you’ll appreciate on-demand packaging. You get professional grade packaging at reasonable prices without having to order pallets of it. If you have a large business, the ability to order packaging as you need it minimizes inventory storage costs. When you have right-sized packages, you’ll also need less space to store them over the larger, standard-sized boxes you’d be using otherwise. Your distributors will appreciate smaller packages, too, since they won’t need to dedicate any more space than necessary to store your items in the warehouse or on shelves.
Better Performance for the Packaging and Delivery Department
One of the benefits of on-demand packaging is that you can have boxes made to fit the product you’re shipping. Instead of using two or three standard-sized boxes and offsetting the empty space with extra bubble wrap and hoping the product isn’t damaged, you’re able to order custom boxes just big enough for the product and its protection. This eliminates the need for massive inventories of packaging materials while simplifying the packing and shipping process. It also reduces the risk that products will be damaged during shipment.
Reduced Shipping Costs
On-demand packaging also greatly reduces shipping costs. An example of this service can be found at Packing solutions by Ribble Automate as they allow you to order custom yet professional packaging made on demand that perfectly fits your product. You can work with their engineers and cartonization software to design packing solutions that let you pack as many small packages into a standard size shipping container or larger protective shipping crate.
If you improve the packing efficiency of your shipments, you’ll be able to ship more products in fewer loads. This reduces the shipping costs per item at no additional cost on your end. You’ll probably reduce the costs associated with re-shipping damaged items, as well.
The Environmental Benefits
If you’re able to reduce the number of shipments out and returns received, you’ll reduce the energy used to transport your products. A side benefit is the elimination of potentially messy void fill that customers don’t like, and you could tell customers that this shift protects the environment because you need fewer filler materials for instance. Companies like Ribble take it one step further by working with only recycled materials.
Conclusion
On-demand packaging lets you save money by reducing inventory costs, wasted filler material, product returns and shipping costs. If you haven’t considered going for this more sustainable alternative, you should definitely look into it and see all the benefits it could give your organization.
Founder Dinis Guarda
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