Every small-to-mid-sized business owner or manager is constantly looking for ways to streamline processes for optimum efficiency. After all, to be successful you need to get product out the door and on shelves as quickly as possible, right? The catch is, SMBs need to find solutions that are effective without being expensive — not the easiest thing to do!
5 Ways SMBs Can Improve Packaging Efficiency
One process in which you can often find ways to improve — cutting time spent without cutting into your bottom line — is packaging. Follow these 5 tips to improve your small to midsize business’s packaging efficiency and you’ll save space, time, and money.
#1 Make a Plan to Improve Packaging Efficiency
Instead of waiting until the end of production when you’re more likely to make last-second decisions that end up costing, make a packaging plan from the get-go. If you take the time upfront to determine a design that optimizes shipping and labeling costs, as well as space needed for production and shelving, you will save time and money in the long run.
#2 Go Green With Earth-Friendly Packaging Efficiency
You may be tempted to stick with tried-and-true corrugated options, but there are actually packaging materials today that are not only environmentally-friendly but budget-friendly too. Packaging made from recyclable materials is often lightweight, too, which can significantly reduce packaging time and shipping costs. Those are good reasons for trading in your usual go-to for going green.
#3 Upgrade Machinery to Improve Packaging Efficiency
It’s understandable for your SMB to be hesitant about sinking money into machinery, but the truth is, the right equipment can seriously improve efficiency and production, reduce overhead and labor costs, as well as eliminate costs attributed to operator error and product damage.
Start by performing an audit on your packaging line operations or hire a consultant to do so — this will provide you with valuable insight into ways you can save time and money, as well as boost productivity, with machine updates.
Make changes that make sense with your budget, then make sure to schedule regular maintenance of your machinery investments to ensure processes continue to run smoothly and efficiently. It’s also a good idea to keep spare parts in stock to avoid any excess downtime for pop-up repairs.
#4 Use Data to Improve Packaging Efficiency
Just as the information collected from a machine audit can help streamline procedures and therefore costs, data can also be collected and analyzed from many other aspects of your processes, providing additional insight into areas you can improve upon even further.
You might even want to share these metrics with your employees, so they can get on board and proudly do their part to improve performance and productivity.
Some data to collect and track could include:
- Waste and damaged product costs
- How much time it takes to package products
- Transport time (loading & unloading)
- Price fluctuations in packaging materials
- Utilization of your space
- You should shoot for 40-50% of your space to be used for receiving, picking, packing, and shipping, with the remainder used for storage. What can you do to get your space closer to this ideal? Have you ever considered portable, modular conveyor belts?
#5 Improve Packaging Efficiency with Rapid-Veyor
Packaging is one of the most time-consuming business operations — from loading and unloading delivery trucks to shipping and shelving. If you’re looking for ways to improve your small business’ packaging efficiency, the Rapid-Veyor portable, modular conveyor can help!
It’s affordable, flexible, and customizable to deliver exactly the packaging solutions you need! With different configurations to fit your space and job at hand, Rapid-Veyor not only improves packaging efficiency, but also offers fast and easy setup, takedown, and storage, saving even more time in your day.
Want to learn more? Give us a call at 616-662-0954 or use our convenient online contact form and start improving your packaging efficiency today!
Legal Disclaimer: The material and information contained on this website is for general information purposes only. You should not rely upon the material or information on the website as a basis for making business, legal or other decisions.