Packaging automation: 4 reasons to choose it

Packaging plays an essential role in logistic, not only in the warehouse but also in the transport of the products to their final destinations. It fulfils several functions from ensuring the safety of the shipment, to the protection of fragile products, to its reuse, should the customer send the product back. In addition, its role in facilitating order preparation operations and in being a vehicle for the company’s brand image should not be overlooked. The packaging process, which is traditionally manual, can lack fluidity and create bottle-necks that have a negative impact on overall logistics efficiency.

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In the light of the above and to ensure good warehouse performance and responsiveness, automating the packaging process is a relevant solution for reaching high quality and service goals. To achieve this, packaging automation must go hand in hand with specific responses to the reduction of unused space in the parcels and the securing and wedging of the products. There are 4 main reasons to automate your packaging processes:

TO INCREASE WAREHOUSE PRODUCTIVITY
TO IMPROVE ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE
TO DEVELOP A VECTOR FOR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
TO REDUCE PACKAGING VOLUME

1st reason

INCREASE WAREHOUSE PRODUCTIVITY

Performance and responsiveness problems are a constant preoccupation of any logistics company, affecting as they do, not only order preparation but also packaging operations. These operations are often carried out manually in warehouses and they can create bottle-necks, delaying the shipment and, as a result, the delivery of the products to the customer

THE ADVANTAGE OF AUTOMATION

Automating the packaging process enables reaction times to be improved and to synchronise order preparation as near as possible to the departure times of the transporters. Not only is the flow of parcels spread out evenly between the picking area and the shipment area, but sending out last minute orders also becomes possible. An automated packaging process has an active role to play in the general smoothness and efficiency of the logistics process.

2nd reason

R.O.I. AUTOMATIC VS MANUAL

Packaging processes are made of 3 main operations: putting parcels together, wedging the products and closing the parcels. Each of these steps has corresponding costs. It is important to differentiate between those generated by a manual process and those generated by an automatic process. The cost of a manual process can be divided into two main items:

costs linked to the personnel in charge of each operation,
costs linked to consumables: cardboard boxes, sticky tape, wedging materials etc.

The cost of this same process carried out by packing machines can be broken down into:

the total purchasing cost of the machine including its maintenance contract, its spare parts and its energy consumption,
costs linked to consumables: cardboard boxes, glue etc.

THE ADVANTAGE OF AUTOMATION

Automation makes it possible to reallocate resources that were initially assigned to packing operations, to higher value-added activities such as order preparation. This operational readjustment provides an immediate gain in quality and productivity. It is also noticeable that automating packaging operations results in a considerable reduction in the use of packaging supplies and a significant increase in space that can be used for other activities.

3rd reason

PACKAGING: A VECTOR FOR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

Packaging quality has a real impact on customer satisfaction. Damaged parcels or products and incorrectly-sized boxes are just a few examples of problems that have a negative impact on the customer and more largely on your company’s image.

THE ADVANTAGE OF AUTOMATION

With packaging automation, these different points can be managed through solutions such as wedging, reducing the unused space in the boxes and adding lids.

Products are protected during transportation by the addition of suitable wedges
Packaging is adapted to the shipment volume: reduced unused space
The use of a lid with easy pre-cut opening enables the parcel to be delivered to the customer in good condition and well protected
A box designed for product returns to make exchanges easier
A container that is easy to recycle because it is made solely out of cardboard

Sizing your parcels to fit the products they contain is essential. The incorrect sizing of parcels results in the following situations:

extra pallets to be handled in the warehouse
extra space to be bought for additional transport
products not sufficiently well-protected that bang into each other in the unused space
and lastly your company leaves a bad impression on the customer

THE ADVANTAGE OF AUTOMATION

With packaging automation, the height of the packaging can be reduced through the detection of how full the parcel is. The cardboard is then cut to size before the parcel is closed. The aim is to ship the smallest volume possible to the customer by significantly reducing the amount of empty space and the volume to be transported, while remaining compatible with both pick-then[1]pack and pick-and-pack processes. As a result, it is possible to place more parcels in the same lorry and so contribute to reducing the number of lorries on the road. When price scales depend on the weight/volume transported, reducing unused space has a direct impact on the reduction of transport costs.

TO CONCLUDE

Designing your packaging solution means responding to 3 key challenges:

ENVIRONMENT
Adapting the size of parcels to the products they contain is in line with policies to ensure that lorries are filled optimally and to strengthen the company’s environmentally friendly status.
PRODUCTIVITY
Packaging processes rely on operations that are regular, fluid and reliable. With automation, resources can be reallocated to high value- added activities.
QUALITY
Products are protected by being correctly wedged in place. Packaging is neat and protected, leaving the customer with a positive impression of your company and its brand.