Damaged Product? Modifying Your Pallet Pattern May Be The Solution

January 28, 2011 by 5 Comments

We all have experienced frustrating situations where our product has been damaged while traversing the supply chain. Often our first instinct is to look at the package design for a solution.  While that may help, the solution may lie in simply reconfiguring your pallet pattern.

We have produced a new video that explores how pallet patterns can be modified to eliminate product damage.

To view in a higher resolution, Click Here to watch on YouTube.

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Picking The Right Carton For Product Packaging

November 17, 2010 by Leave a comment

Often in product design, the focus of the design team is on the actual product and its primary packaging.  Although the shipper carton has the important function of making sure the product makes it in perfect condition through the distribution channel, the design of this package can become a rushed afterthought when entering into the launch phase.

Choosing a carton that maximizes your product’s protection without paying extra for an over-specified solution requires that you understand corrugated box construction.  The first place to find out how the carton was designed is to understand the Box Certificate that is printed on most cartons.

 

Bursting Test – This measurement is an indication of the quality of the box.  This number is determined from the Mullen test, which measures the pressure (pounds per square inch) required for the corrugate to rupture.  This measurement is a good indication of how effective the carton will be at maintaining its structural integrity when dropped or loaded with heavy contents that exert pressure on a small area of the carton.  Certification with this test requires the corrugate to be constructed within specific parameters.

Edge Crush Test – This is a new standard that is sometimes used in place of the Bursting Test.  This measurement indicates the stacking strength of the carton by measuring the minimum pounds per linear inch needed to compress the edge of the corrugate board. This method of measurement allows manufacturers to use less expensive, lighter weight board than what is required for a Burst Test certified carton.

Minimum Combined Weight On Facings – This measurement is an indication of the stacking strength of the carton certified with the Burst Test.  This number is the weight the sides of the carton can hold up when a load is applied to the top.  This measurement is generally indicated in pounds per square foot.

Size Limit – This number indicates the maximum carton size allowed for the corrugate board used to construct the box.  This is determined my adding the length, width and height of the carton.

Gross Weight Limit – This value indicates the maximum weight that can be loaded into the carton.  Although this is the specified maximum weight, consideration should be given to the type of product loaded into the box and the mode of transportation to determine what weight should actually be loaded into the carton.  A carton loaded to the weight limit with an irregularly shaped item may not be adequately protected.  Also, a carton at the weight limit may be adequately protected when palletized but prove inadequate when shipped as an individual parcel.

The goal of protective packaging is to get your product through the distribution channel and into the end user’s hands in pristine condition. Understanding the Box Certificate is a great starting point to knowing if your carton will be adequate to achieve this goal, and put you on your way to achieving your larger goal of bringing your product successfully to market.

Box Maker’s Certificate
All About Boxes
Technical Notes On The Use Of Corrugated Paperboard Boxes
Box Manufacturer’s Certificates
Understanding the Box Maker’s Certificate

 

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Product Packaging & Palletization – Ending Well Matters

July 22, 2010 by 1 Comment

“Seeing is believing, and perceiving creates realities“

The condition of how a product arrives at its destination and it’s interaction with end users is where packaging has the greatest impact.  Painstaking concern is directed at designing the primary packaging and secondary packaging.  Often neglected is the distribution carton and pallet pattern along with the specifications for properly securing and protecting the system for transit throughout the distribution channel. Poor execution of the system creates in the mind of the end user low brand value impressions.

For system clarification, product packaging methods are thought of as levels or layers, such as immediate, intermediate and outer shipping carton.  These package layers and levels are also referred to as primary packaging, secondary packaging and tertiary packaging.

Immediate/primary packaging is the packaging that comes in direct contact with the product and is typically the smallest salable unit.  For instance, the bottle the shampoo comes in.

Intermediate/secondary packaging is the packaging that is in direct contact with the primary package and is also used to group primary packages for better handling.  For instance, the box the toothpaste comes in or the shrink wrapped set of thank you cards.

Outer shipping carton/tertiary packaging is the bulk packaging whose purposes include consolidation, handling, transit, storage and product protection.  This level of packaging can be considered as an individual carton or a unitized pallet. For instance, the outer carton packed with multiple sets of greeting cards or the pallet stacked with outer cartons.

Determining product consolidation and unitized load strategies requires an understanding the packaging system goals.  Based your goals, design strategies such as: component based, system based and compliance based, can be employed.

For More Information

Check out this video to learn more
about how to prevent product damage within the supply chain.

Click Here to learn more about how
ASAP can help you with your
damaged product issues.

Each strategy requires intimate knowledge of distribution channels, as well as unique product attributes, such as climate sensitivities and weight restrictions.  Some important factors in the distribution channels include:

  • Destination locations
  • Modes of transportation
  • Truck, rail or container sizes
  • Atmospheric conditions
  • Storage conditions

Understanding environments within distribution channels helps to determine the kind of distribution cartons, pallets, stacking patterns and pallet protection needed to safely deliver products to market.

With all the complexities inherent in packaging systems and methodologies, it becomes easy to understand how and why the tertiary details are often overlooked.  However, if we take the next step in the process, often we can avoid costly product damage.  If there are current issues with product damage, perhaps the first places to look are unitization, pallet patterns and pallet protection.  Sometimes using different stretch wrap materials and methods, banding, slip sheeting, edge protectors or reconfiguring a pallet pattern can easily solve these problems.

Here are a few great resources for more informationon this multifaceted subject:

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Collaboration as a Process: Integrate Operations

March 31, 2010 by Leave a comment

My last blog discussed synchronizing systems, where the goal of this step is to align all stakeholders within the supply chain to efficiently meet end user requirements. Continuing the Collaboration as a Process discussion transitions into step three of the collaborative process, Integrate Operations.

collaborationIntegrating operations has one objective, to efficiently share dynamic information about end users’ preferences regarding the client’s products and services to all stakeholders within the supply chain delivery system. The ability to respond to dynamic end user requirements delivers on the promise to listen and to understand true needs as expressed by end users.

This extensive information sharing allows all stakeholders to measure sales, to define and refine requirements, to initiate production activities, and to react more quickly to changing inventory needs.  The integration of operations necessitates the building of information communication systems, processes, and infrastructures to efficiently sustain the rapid response rates to changing market needs.

Information sharing directs the appropriate data to the right stakeholders within the supply chain creating the opportunity to seamlessly combine services at a lower per unit cost.  These cost savings derive from the ability to augment product features, maintain lower inventory levels, postpone final product configurations and deliver smaller quantities at larger volume pricing.

Packaging It Up: Collaboration as a Process Summary

Collaboration as a Process has three components: client-centered dialog, synchronize systems, and integrate operations. These three components enable businesses to efficiently deliver products and services that meet the needs of the end customer. To recap:

Client-centered dialog focus on the needs of the end user/customer, which earns trust and is the primary method to obtain information.

Synchronizing systems leverages the best of core competencies from firms in the supply chain.

Integrate operations is the information conduit that supplies dynamic market data from the end user and other market conditions to all stake holders.

The collaborative process is fluid and dynamic as information flows from one step to another. The process creates innovative ways to meet end user requirements in this complex and volatile economy.

 

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Collaboration as a Process: Synchronize Systems

March 11, 2010 by Leave a comment

The subject of my last blog, Collaboration as a Process, provided a model for thinking about collaboration as process where creating client-centered dialogue is the first step. Shifting our internal paradigm from “Let me tell you about me and my products” to focusing on our client’s paradigm by asking “What are your goals for your products and services?” leads to creating client-centered dialog, which helps to begin uncovering true needs for our clients and end users.

collaborationClient-centered dialog and active listening facilitates the free flow of information. We learn about our client’s core competencies. We learn about our client’s strategic objectives and vision for success in the market place. We learn what our client’s are really good at producing, and how they go about bringing their products and services to market. Then, together we can move to problem solving and synchronizing systems.

The goal of synchronizing systems in the collaborative process is to align all stakeholders within the supply chain to efficiently meet end user requirements. This outcome is achieved by exploring the client’s and the supply chain’s systems, processes and core competencies to consider how the combined services can serve to strengthen the client’s positioning to deliver on its strategic objectives.

The process of examining key components uncovers gaps between the client’s strategic objectives in meeting end user requirements and how it delivers on those objectives. These gaps are value creation opportunities. Value creation opportunities include the ability to align stakeholder systems and processes, to reduce or eliminate redundancies, while each stakeholder works within its core competencies. When organizations collaborate within their respective core competencies, organizations can provide efficient solutions to the end user at reduced unit prices and at significantly lower investment cost.

Once the value creation opportunities are identified, supply chain resources are qualified and the systems are synchronized, then the next step in the collaborative process begins. This next step, integrating operations, is critical in delivering the promises of meeting target price points and lowered investment costs.

Continue the conversation with me on my next blog post, where I discuss methods on how to integrate operations within collaborative relationships.

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Collaboration as a Process: Client Centered Dialog

February 19, 2010 by Leave a comment

In the product development community, collaboration is an emerging concept and can be thought about as a process. Collaboration appears in Product Manager’s blogs, in product development books and journals as well as the topic of many product development seminars.  Collaboration and collaborative relationship should not be mistaken for the 90′s buzzword, partnership. In product development, collaboration is being conceptualized as a process that is embodied by three main components:

collaborationFirst, to help understand collaboration, it is helpful to consider what it is not collaboration. For distinction, collaboration is not a partnership. Partnerships focus on transactional relationships. To simplify the concept, a partnership implies transactions from one party to another, such as a legally binding relationship where documents are signed for the delivery of products and services for the exchange of money. Collaboration is an idea sharing process where business needs, information and knowledge are willingly contributed and problem solving begins.

To move from partnership thinking to collaboration, we can view collaboration as a process where we focus our energies on one component of the process at a time, then widen our perspective back to the concept of collaboration. The first step in the collaborative process is creating client-centered dialogue.

Creating client-centered dialogue requires the development of an open and trusting environment. Creating this environment requires a shift in our context or paradigm from “me” or “my” to “you” and “ours,” and most importantly that of the end user. We shift from an internal paradigm: “Let me tell you about me and my products, my services…,” to focusing on our customers paradigm by asking, “What are your goals for your products and services? What types of challenges are you facing? What needs are being left unfulfilled?”

When we collaborate, we intentionally shift our thinking to that of our clients wants, needs and desires. We then are free to ask open-ended questions, actively listen and brainstorm ideas. Through shifting our paradigm, we change our dialogue and we begin the collaborative process.

Creating client-centered dialogue allows opportunities for the free flow of information, thereby, true business and end-user’s needs can be uncovered.  When we discover these true needs (or gaps), a different opportunity presents itself, the opportunity to innovate! Thereby, we create a unique and differentiated value for the end-user. Additionally, the intentional focus on collaboration can be purposed to lowering overall unit prices, quickening response times, and lowering inventory levels while enhancing the end users’ experience with our products and services.

In the first essential step in collaborating, we are initiating client-centered dialogue to begin achieving an opportunity to create an exceptional value for the client(s). To continue the value creation in the collaborative process, it is necessary to analyze and determine how to synchronize with client systems.

Stay tuned for my next blog, where I will discuss my methods on how organizations can synchronize systems to deliver exceptional value to clients.

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