Every business looks for packaging savings. However, most companies concentrate on reducing the purchase price of their packaging products rather than looking for true packaging cost reduction. Buying inexpensive, inferior packaging materials may save money on the surface, but usually those modest savings evaporate because the company uses more packaging, experiences more product damage, and puts customer relationships at risk because of that product damage and by presenting a shoddy image.
True cost-effective packaging means taking a close look at the application, knowing all of the options, and understanding how packaging solutions can reduce cost in various areas of the business. Because GWC Packaging works with customers to develop customized, cost-effective solutions day in and day out, we can help you find economical alternatives you may easily overlook. Here are a few examples of cost-effective solutions for your packaging materials.
Same Product, Different Size
Box sealing tape is an area where buying a cheap product can create expensive problems. However, changing the width of a tape that performs well for you can produce real savings without the downsides of unsecured boxes and customer complaints.
On machine applications, reducing width is a great option because the machine is sure to apply the same amount of tape on each shipping box, perfectly centered between the flaps. Reducing tape width decreases tape cost per box enough to make a real difference in mid- and high-volume operations.
Oddly enough, many hand-held tape applications realize cost savings by increasing tape width. This is because operators apply the tape unevenly across the flaps, and/or don’t feel confident the tape will hold. The result: They apply two or three strips of tape when one would suffice. With a wider tape, this overuse is less likely to occur — so again, tape cost per package is reduced.
Changing Product Specifications
Would you like to have more warehouse space? Here is an easy way to create a substantial amount of it quickly with little effort and without spending a dime.
If you store corrugated boxes in your warehouse, you know very well how much space they take. If you are like most companies, your boxes are made from C-flute corrugated board, the most common. However, by switching to B-flute corrugated board, you will require about one-third less vertical space to store your boxes, because B-flute is that much narrower than C-flute. The cost and functionality of the two board constructions are about the same. (Of course, like anything else, you’ll want to test this before making a wholesale change.)
Higher Price, Lower Cost
Machine-applied stretch film is a great example of how spending a little more money on a roll of film saves a lot of money on stretch film going out the door.
With an inexpensive, inferior quality stretch film, a company must put several wraps of film around each pallet to hold it together. Even then, the pallet may not hold, leading to product damage, freight claims, unhappy customers and all the rest.
However, by testing high-performance films, companies are able to find a film that holds the pallet securely, even though much less film is required. A company can then, for example, ship each pallet with 60 cents of film on it instead of 90 cents — saving a third! Along with that substantial material cost savings, the cost and unpleasantness of damaged products is reduced or (more likely) eliminated.
Find the Right Cost-Effective Packaging Solutions
These examples are just three among more than we can count. If you are interested in discussing your packaging applications and working together to achieve substantial cost reductions, please contact us now.