Good packaging protects goods and, if done right, it is an efficient way to market and build your brand. Packaging determines the consumers' first impression of your goods. It may even dictate their purchase decision.
Research shows that businesses ship around 165 billion packages in the US every year. The figure only goes to show how much brands spend on goods packaging. While it is a good course, it does not mean that you should spend a fortune on product packaging.
With the right strategy, you can reduce your business packaging costs without compromising your brand integrity and products’ identity. Keep reading for some insightful tips on ways to save money on packaging.
1. Select an Affordable Option
With many packaging options at your disposal, you can select the most affordable choice for your business without compromising on the quality. Start by assessing your precise needs, depending on the type of products you have to offer.
Affordability is relative based on your set business operating capital. When selecting the best choice, consider that you have other expenses to take care of in the company. Set aside an amount that you can comfortably pay for and then research the prices of varying packaging types.
Some aspects that affect the cost include the product packaging design, material, aesthetics, and government regulations. The packaging should not only be beautifully designed but also durable. This will ensure minimal damages cases, hence saving your money.
2. Outsource Packaging Solutions
You cannot go wrong by partnering with packaging and automation partners to save both time and money. The packaging service providers have the right skills and resources to do the job better than you; hence, quality is guaranteed.
Outsourcing packaging solutions might sound like an extra expense that you would instead do without. However, with a reliable service provider you are assured of significant savings.
You can trust an experienced packaging solutions company to handle all the demanding tasks, including cartooning, tray packing, palletizing, and case automation. You are able to save more time, thus increasing productivity. Also, you are assured of high-quality packaging material.
3. Invest in Quality Packaging Material
You should not let the urge to save money push you to select inferior material. While buying cheap things can be enticing and makes you feel like you are saving a lot, you will realize that you are spending or losing too much in the long-run.
For instance, buying cheap quality pallet wrap may force you to double the film's weight to obtain the required packaging results. Moreover, you will end up with many defects, which means more money wastage.
Wrapping pallets and its contents helps protect everything to avoid damages. Invest in quality pallet shrink wrap to prevent these headaches from happening in the first place and it will more than pay off.
Dealing with inferior quality materials results in unending cases of operator snapping, causing frustrations and downtime. Productivity goes down, and you could even lose potential customers due to poor packaging.
Selecting the best yield pallet for packaging for food products will cost you more per roll but helps you make massive savings in the cost-in-use. This is why cost should always come first before the price.
4. Train Your Staff
Training makes a significant difference in the amount of pallet wrap or tape used during packaging. Moreover, it minimizes the cases of damaged wraps because your staff understands how to go about the packaging process better.
Investing some money and resources in employees' training might seem like an expensive venture, but it saves you a lot in the long-term. The workers receive training on the proper way to tape the boxes and how to wrap pallets.
This ensures that they only use the right amount of tape or pallet, and by minimizing the product packaging supplies, you can save a considerable amount on the operation cost.
5. Incorporate Automation
When you say time is money, you should be thinking of ways to save more time in business to make more money. Automation boosts productivity and helps you cut down on the production costs by reducing the packaging times.
With technology comes amazing innovations that allow you to reduce manual labor. In return, your staff can focus on other productive tasks around the business.
Your workforce will no longer have to spend valuable time on time-consuming tasks likes taping boxes, assembling the cartons, and stuffing materials.
Sealing and taping have proven to be the most time-consuming and tedious packaging tasks because of the high stakes. A poorly taped or sealed product has a high chance of spoilage. This forces your workers to spend too much time on it.
Things get worse if you have a faulty machine. You have to spend more time on its repair, not to forget the downtime resulting from the breakdown. You can avoid all these issues by investing in packaging automation tools.
6. Regular Machinery Maintenance
When last did you check our packaging machinery to ensure that it is in its best condition? Maintaining your machinery regularly will save you from unexpected breakdowns, thus minimizing downtime.
One of the leading causes of money wastage is lost time. Neglecting your packaging machinery will cost you a lot through time wastage and reduced productivity.
Besides downtime, failure to check and maintain your equipment regularly may result in higher repair costs once the underlying issues get out of hand. You could also be forced to invest in new machinery, an issue that could have been avoided through frequent checkups.
7. Change the Packaging Design and Set-Up
The design and set up play a huge role in the total packaging costs. Reviewing these aspects will help you establish the unnecessary components and areas that need adjustments to minimize expenses.
Consider if you need all the components that you are using. Altering the packaging design may also increase your savings. If necessary, consider changing your packaging materials to a more affordable choice.
Sticking with the status-quo hinders you from realizing the potential benefits that other packaging has to offer. In return, you miss out on a lot of savings opportunities that perfect product packaging has to offer.
Save More on Product Packaging Like a Pro
Adopting the tips above will help you save on product packaging. Moreover, they can help you attract new customers and retain old ones. The product packaging design will reach perfection, while the quality remains unmatched.
Focusing on such aspects as product packaging and shipping shows that you take your business seriously. Consumers love to associate with such brands. For more tips on product management and logistics, keep reading the Bootstrap Business Blog.
