Companies that ship their products understand the importance of protective packaging.
The hazards that are associated with poorly protected products extends beyond the loss of time and money. In order to ensure the product makes it to its destination securely, there a number of steps to follow to make sure the product makes it into your customer’s hands the way it was intended.
What product am I shipping?
It may be an obvious thing to consider, but you will need to consider the your product and what protective packaging is necessary to safely ship it. Consider the following questions:
- What is being shipped?
- Do you require void fill?
- Are there multiple items in the carton that should be separated to avoid damage if they were to collide with each other?
- Is the item fragile?
- Will the item require customised packaging because it is oddly shaped?
- Will the product be damaged if it shifts or is accidentally dropped during shipping?
- Will the item being shipped require extra fill to restrict product movement?
It isn’t out of the ordinary for an item to require a specific type of protective packaging that can withstand the mentioned scenarios.
How am I shipping the product?
From the moment your product leaves your facility to the time it arrives in your customer’s hands, you need to know the journey your product has travelled. If your product is being shipped direct to the final destination of a pallet, the product may not require much cushioning. However, if your product is being shipped by courier, there’s a higher chance of an impact that can cause product damage.
What are the requirements?
The protective packaging requirements often fall into three categories answered by the following questions:
- What is the most cost effective package for my product?
- How much is enough packaging protection for my product?
- What will my customer think about my product packaging?
Which protective packaging meets the requirements?
For all of the requirements listed above, there are several options. Some new advances in packaging technology offer benefits that had previously been unavailable. Protective packaging and the entire packaging process is important to your company’s success, it is important to consider advances in the industry and explore how these can help your bottom line.
Contacting a packaging specialist can be beneficial to explore options even if you are happy with the current process.