Now that Black Friday and Christmas are firmly behind us for another year, online retailers can take the time to review how their operations coped with these high demand periods. When fulfilment operations are pushed to their limits, weaknesses in e-commerce packaging systems and packaging machinery quickly become exposed.
With demand back to a steadier level, solutions to any e-commerce packaging issues can be calmly considered and implemented in plenty of time for this year’s anticipated spike.
Equally, for businesses looking to grow throughout the year, early anticipation of how this year’s peak might pan out can ensure they make smart investments that deliver benefits throughout the year whilst being fully prepared for seasonal upturns.
What Peak Season Really Exposes in E-Commerce Operations
Essentially, packaging equipment simply needs to keep up with the rest of the operation, especially when it’s stretched to its limit. It’s at these times when machinery is truly tested and older or less reliable kit is most likely to let you down, just when it’s needed most.
When the e-commerce packaging system fails to keep up the pace, the consequences are clear and can ultimately be severe:
- Creation of a packaging bottleneck, leading to delayed order dispatch. In the competitive online retail world, customer expectations of fast despatch are sky high and nothing less is accepted.
- Increased labour costs. One simple solution is to throw bodies at the problem. With labour rates representing such a significant cost, this can be an expensive fix, denting overall profitability.
- Product damage or loss. When pressure mounts on a manual packaging process, the quality of packing can suffer, potentially leading to reduced product protection through the carrier network. This can be twinned with mistakes in labelling, with packages going AWOL once shipped.
- Brand erosion. When packing is rushed and quality suffers, the overall pack aesthetic can end up compromised, and when the final result lands on the mat, it no longer reflects the brand values that producers and resellers desire.
Overall, delays, loss and product damage result in customer disappointment, bad reviews and stalled repeat business rates.
Why Packaging Efficiency Matters Long After Christmas
Packaging efficiency, including a move toward increased automation, delivers competitive advantage to producers and co-packing operations all year round. Gains for businesses include:
- Faster dispatch of orders, leading to improved customer satisfaction
- Consistent packaging, resulting in fewer returns, refunds and complaints
- Scalable systems, delivering peace of mind when demand spikes again
- Reduced reliance on labour so that expensive human resource can be deployed where it’s needed most and can add more value
- Decreased waste and downtime, for improved productivity and operating margin
Packaging Machinery Built to Handle Real-World Demand
A range of automated and semi-automated bagging systems are available, so the equipment investment can be matched to the needs of the operation.
- Vertical bagging systems are ideal for anything from occasional use to around 700 packs per hour; horizontal bagging machines are used for high volume operations and can fulfil 500-1800 packs per hour.
- There’s a choice between semi-automated systems, where products are manually loaded, and fully automated e-commerce packaging solutions that are loaded by conveyor for large businesses that operate at scale.
- In-built advanced labelling systems ensure GDPR compliance and correct labelling as each order passes through the packaging operation.
- Horizontal bagging machines adjust pack length to product size for each order, and some models also adjust pack width, delivering improved product protection, reduced packaging materials usage and enhanced pack aesthetics.
- Vertical bagging machines are also flexible, handling different bag sizes for different product runs, with speedy bag changeover in between.
- Simple operating systems and intuitive HMI controls that are easy and quick to learn ensure correct and consistent operation, even when operator shifts change over and when temporary workforces are used.
Automation of e-commerce packaging creates speed and consistency all year round. Robust, quality packaging equipment keeps delivering through the highest load periods, with added-value features and ultimate reliability. Plus, the wide range of automated e-commerce packaging machines out there provides options to scale over time – from vertical hand-loaded processes to vertical auto-loaded to horizontal high-speed versions.
Materials Matter – Especially When Volumes Spike
Especially during peak periods, no-one wants material to slow the operation down or hold it up with breakages or unnecessary roll changes. Including materials in a thorough post-peak review makes sure that all the benefits of automated packaging equipment are fully realised. Some key considerations for optimal packaging materials management would be:
- Ensuring packaging materials suppliers are BRC certified for consistent quality supply
- Assessing material breakages and replacing supply with higher-strength alternatives
- Checking recyclability and recycled content options, to move toward sustainable packaging materials
- Commissioning an engineer-led review into compatibility between packaging machinery and materials for optimal performance and materials usage
- Researching possible material choices in conjunction with new packaging machinery investments as plastic- and paper-compatible options are available, as well as hybrid models that can use either
- Specifying printed packaging materials, including brand logos, colours and other identifiers, to create stand out from all the other packages on the mat
Reliable consistent operation from packaging machinery is dependent on reliable, consistent high-quality materials. When both work in harmony, the gains for businesses include:
- Faster throughput
- Reduced materials usage and waste
- More consistent pack presentation
- Improved brand standout for high brand recall, encouraging repeat business.
How YPS Helps E-Commerce Brands Prepare for the Next Peak
Peak season shows where your e-commerce packaging operation struggles. Quarter 1 is the time to investigate how to fix it.
New machinery investment might feel like a huge commitment now but it can jump businesses forward to the next level and ensure they manage their growth with consistently well-delivered orders. The benefits are such that payback can be a lot shorter than you might think – as one leading apparel retailer customer of ours recently discovered.
YPS is an experienced packaging machinery supplier, with 50 years in business. Speak to our team about e-commerce packaging solutions that help you work faster, smarter, and with fewer disruptions next time demand spikes.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONs
Find out more about ecommerce packaging solutions by reading the Frequently Asked Questions we’ve compiled.
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A range of benefits can be achieved including increased speed and throughput, reduced reliance on labour, improved pack consistency, decreased waste and materials use and assured labelling accuracy.
There are two main types: vertical or horizontal.
Vertical machines are suitable for anything from occasional use to throughput of around 700 packs per hour. They can be hand or conveyor loaded and are available for use with plastic or paper mailing bags.
Horizontal machines are for high-speed, high-output operations, with output of up to 1800 packs per hour.
The wide range of available ecommerce packaging equipment allows operators to specify the ideal system for their products and business.
Yes! Many models include built-in labelling capability that syncs the label to the order being packed. Systems that operate with one-in one-out data processes are the most secure in ensuring that the right label hits every order, without fail. Please ask the team about labelling when you discuss new machinery investments and they’d be happy to talk you through the available systems.
We’d recommend reviewing materials regularly and certainly when investing in new equipment. High quality materials such as those supplied by BRC credited suppliers will ensure a consistent result. As a supplier of both machinery and materials, our own team of engineers can examine and recommend compatible materials that deliver optimal performance.
