Ecommerce Transit Packaging
The critical role ecommerce packaging plays in successful order fulfilment
Ecommerce shipping happens to be the focus for a large number of companies, and why not?
Right from Amazon planning to make use of drones to deliver online orders as well as various businesses now going ahead and offering same-day delivery, attaining a sale can often hinge on deliveries and shipping choices that are available at the time of online checkout.
However, not all the companies go on to offer decent or even acceptable shipping choices.
It is indeed a familiar scenario, being stuck at home and waiting for a parcel to be at the doorstep or returning home to get a sorry we missed you card pushed inside the door, thereby meaning that you have to go and hence collect your items, and as a matter of fact, exposing the convenience of online shopping.
As a matter of fact, because of the poor experience, many would go on to prefer to still collect their products once they have gone on to order online, thereby witnessing the rise in click-and-collect services that are offered by numerous large retailers.
But in spite of the customers’ expectations, it is indeed important to consider the part that packaging will go on to play when it comes to ecommerce shipping, and how it can go on to directly impact business success.
01: Why does shipping happen to be so important?
The significance of a successful delivery strategy
Before highlighting the critical role that packaging goes on to play in ecommerce shipping, it is also critical to also emphasise as to how important a successful delivery strategy happens to be to any ecommerce business.
Firstly, a study recently conducted by Ipsos has gone on to indicate that almost 90% of those surveyed anticipate receiving online orders in a week.
This may as well look blindingly obvious, but a large percentage of the ones surveyed are likely to anticipate that their orders happen to be much quicker than this, especially those using Amazon Prime, which happens to be promising next day delivery and even same-day delivery on many products.
The findings also go on to indicate that more than half would go ahead and expect the estimated delivery to be precise to within 3 hours, and that 40% will be even more willing to pay more for delivery at the time that happens to suit them most.
Getting back to the study done by Ipsos, the main takeaway happens to be the fact that 57% of consumers go on to believe that the present delivery options that are offered by online retailers don’t happen to be satisfactory.
The role of ecommerce packaging in shipping success
So while this may as well be well and good, it can even be argued that the highlighted problems as well as dissatisfaction can be attributed to courier services.
And this is indeed true. Selecting as well as paying for a reliable shipping provider happens to be hugely critical when it comes to ecommerce success.
Making sure to get this element of operations right can go on to give a strong foundation in terms of achieving customer satisfaction by way of prompt and efficient delivery.
02: 8 kinds where packaging affects success
• Assembly times when it comes to packaging
• Packing times
• Void fill needs
• Custom sizes as well as volumetric shipping
• Protection in terms of transit
• Complete inventory size and management
• Returns
• Warehouse setup as well as picking bins
03: Assembly
Assembly times for packaging
First on the list is the point that is kind of often overlooked in the case of ecommerce delivery, and which is how long it takes to assemble the packaging.
While assembling a box may as well not take long in isolation, it may take 20 to 30 seconds if it happens to be a standard design that is taped, and if one sends out hundreds of orders in a day, this can go on to quickly add up to immense time stressing on this one aspect.
The actual impact that this has on fulfillment is that it slows it down, and thereby, this makes offering those short delivery times even more challenging.
Apparently, one of the solutions is to make use of pre-assembled boxes, although these take immense space, which is, as a matter of fact, adding to the cost, so as to have a designated box assembler have the associated labor cost and finally utilize the easy-assemble boxes.
Designs like those with a crash lock base can be erected simply by pulling the corners apart, saving an immense amount of time. It also goes on to decrease secondary packaging, especially tape, and can also enable in reducing RSI injuries too.
04: Packing Times
Major elements affecting ecommerce fulfillment
Just like the above, the exact time it takes so as to pack the orders can go on to affect the ability to give out satisfactory fulfillment times.
While the box assembly is indeed arguably a part of it, by way of adding required secondary packaging such as labels, decorative elements, inserts, as well as fliers, the products themselves and even then sealing as well as labeling can go on to take a surprisingly longer time.
But how can this be minimized by way of packaging?
Initially, eliminating or may be minimising void fill by way of using custom-sized ecommerce boxes can go on to help, as printing specific information directly onto the box can very well prevent the requirement in terms of the additional process of adding more paperwork, etc.
Although all these may look like small gains individually, they can also go on to soon add up over time.
05: Void Fill Needs
Impact on cost as well as packing times
When we talk of void fill, it can as well have other impacts on ecommerce shipping besides slowing down the packing times.
If one happens to be using too much void fill, it goes on to indicate that the user may be using packaging that happens to be too large. This will almost certainly be costing some money.
Secondly, there also happens to be the cost of the void fill itself, and this, teamed with the rising shipping costs, can make it even more tempting so as to pass these costs onto the customers.
Void fill, apparently, happens to be the additional packaging for customers to dispose of, which can go on to prove quite annoying and, as a matter of fact, does nothing for environmental credentials.
06: Right Sizing
Custom sizes as well as volumetric shipping
One way so as to avoid excessive void fill is to ensure the use of tailor-made ecommerce packaging.
Not only does this decrease the cost incurred by way of having to source secondary packaging, but it is also most likely to decrease the overall shipping costs as well. This is due to the shift to volumetric shipping charges, which goes on to mean that one can effectively be paying extra so as to ship fresh air.
Any savings that one makes with regards to the custom-sized packaging can be used so as to offer faster delivery times to customers.
07: Inventory
Total packaging inventory size and management
It is indeed critical to get the inventory of packaging products just right.
If the inventory happens to be too large, it can also mean that not only is one not paying the actual prices for the cartons, but it is also likely slowing down the fulfillment too.
It will be, as a matter of fact, even harder to find the right box, harder to track stock levels, and generally go on to be more challenging to manage.
The opposite of this is an inventory that has too few sizes, which will go on to incur additional shipping costs as well as use too much void fill by almost always sending boxes that are too big.
08: Protection
Safety of goods across transit
It is indeed important to remember that the primary function of the packaging is to enable a successful shipping of online orders.
While speed happens to be arguably one of the criteria that defines success, safeguarding during the course of transit happens to be equally important.
It is indeed no use to get damaged items at the doorstep extremely quickly, as they will be returned.
09: Returns: Facilitating as well as reducing
Minimising costs and labor associated with returns
Besides a decrease in transit damage to help minimize returns that are caused by broken items, the packaging can go on to help with returns in certain other ways as well.
In order for this to work, however, one has to accept that there is going to be a specific level of returns that need to be processed. Hence, rather than making this even more challenging  for the customers, the box can very well include return instructions or can even be used in terms of sending items back.
10: Warehouse Setup and Picking Bins
Steps so as to decrease the picking times
Besides the rapid packing times, a good courier offers rapid service as well as ecommerce boxes that go on to prevent damage and minimize returns, and all aspects concerning the fulfillment processes have to run smoothly.
This has in it everything from how you pick orders, to the kinds of picking bins as well as racking that one uses in a warehouse or storage facility.
It is hence significant to take a total view of the picking and packing operation since problems in one area can go on to hamper success in another.
Summary
The major role of packaging in ecommerce shipping
While ecommerce packaging is undoubtedly about so much more than just helping to offer fast delivery times, its role when it comes to streamlined fulfillment should not be overlooked.
And with consumers wanting to have their orders delivered in shorter time frames, the question to be asked is: can businesses really afford not to focus on the success of ecommerce shipping?
