Any business that ships products has to understand the importance of protective packaging.
The issues associated with poorly protected products extends beyond the loss of expenses and time. In order to make sure that your product arrives at its destination in an acceptable condition, there are four factors that will need to be evaluated as a part of the production process.
What is my product?
Although it may seem an obvious question and answer, you will need to think about your product and which protective packaging is necessary to safely ship it. Ask yourself some of the following questions:
- What are you shipping?
- Do you require void fill?
- Are there multiple items in the carton that must be separated to avoid damage if they were to collide with each other?
- Are any of your items quite fragile?
- Is the item an odd shape that requires customised packaging?
It isn’t unusual that your product may require specific protective packaging that can withstand the above scenarios.
How is my product being shipped?
From the moment that your product leaves your facility to the time it arrives in your customer’s hands – it’s worth knowing the full cycle that your product follows.
If you ship a product with a courier, it is possible that your product will face some damage on its journey.
What are the requirements?
Protective packaging requirements will often fall into three categories and answered by these questions:
- What is the most cost effect package for my product? Making sure your packaging for your product meets budget requirements is a common request. It is most cost efficient to utilise internal protective packaging to ensure smaller orders using the same box/
- How much packaging is enough? Products that are fragile or sensitive may require more protective packaging that usual. Consider the means of transport and the route your packaged product will take to help your determine the amount of packaging you will need.
- What will the customer think about the product packaging? No matter your opinion on the environment, it is worth looking into using environmentally friendly packaging for your products. You may think going green is expensive, however, there are many cost-effective choices available
Finding protective packaging that fits the above requirements
There are a number of options for the above requirements. New advances in packaging technology hold the ability to provide you with many benefits that formerly were not available. As protective packaging and the packaging process as a whole is so important for the success of your company, you should consider the new advances in the industry and explore how these can help your bottom line.
Try not to fall into the ‘this is the way it has always been done’ trap – if you can, meet with a packaging specialist can be worthwhile for exploring options even if you are happy with your current process.