If you want to determine which packaging supplies are needed
for your products, you can track the products through the steps which are taken
when the product is prepared and sent out for shipping. This evaluation of the
end line products can help you identify the protective measures which need to
be taken to keep the products safe during shipping. It is worth mentioning that
inefficiencies in the shipping department can eat away a bigger chunk of your
business budget. If you want to avoid this unnecessary spending, you are going
to have to stock useful packaging supplies.
In this article, we are going to talk about the essential
packaging supplies that you need in order to improve efficiency of the
packaging department while ensuring effective protection of the products.
Basic packaging supplies
The most basic packaging supplies are the ones that provide
outermost protection to the items you are shipping. These supplies include corrugated
boxes, packing tape, and packing list envelopes. These basic supplies ensure
protection to your products from most potential damages but they do not necessarily
provide protection from all of the aspects.
Protective packaging supplies
Products which may include fragile item, electronics, and
oddly shaped products require more than just the basic protection. For this
purpose, you need to consider using protective packaging supplies which may
include bubble wrap, edge protectors, stretch wrap, and foam and shrink wrap.
Quite often, there are instructions printed on the outer packaging telling the
handlers about the type of items packed inside and also about the way these
products need to be handled. For instance, the ‘Fragile’ label on the outer packaging
tells the handlers that there may be glassware or other breakable items in the
box; and so the box needs to be handled carefully. If the product needs to be
sent to the fulfilling company before it is shipped, the protective packaging
supplies will also include strapping materials because fulfillment companies
often have to deal with the shipping of pallets.
Shipping supplies and inventory management
To ensure better profitability of the business, it is very
important to ensure better inventory management. The items that you are going
to need in this regard mainly include packing skips, envelopes, tracking
numbers, and pressure sensitive inventory control labels. These items come in
handy when you have to process returns and replacements.
Basic mailroom packaging supplies
The mailrooms have to deal with the postage. So the items
that you are going to need in order to keep the mailroom fully equipped include
envelopes, mailers, postage machine or loose postage, postage scale, adhesives,
tape, stapler, and rubber bands.
