Guide to E-commerce: optimise your parcel process

Time is money and this is no exception for those who work with e-commerce or run a webshop. Here it is crucial to optimise the number and size of packages that can be processed in the warehouse hour by hour. An optimised logistics flow is a process that should be studied in depth, because in the end it means both satisfied customers and a better bottom line! That’s why we’ve put together a step-by-step guide on how best to optimise your own warehouse’s parcel process, and what you need to focus on in particular to succeed.

In this guide, we will cover:

1. Optimising packing
2. Reducing freight costs
3. Proper protection
4. Increasing customer satisfaction
5. Environmentally friendly packaging

The efficiency of the packaging process is of great importance

Pack, protect and seal your shipments. If you improve the efficiency of packing each order, you can multiply the efficiency by the number of orders. This can have a huge impact on your organisation as a whole, not to mention your bottom line. If you want to go directly to the product range, visit our e-commerce universe of packaging for webshops.

The choice of packaging can end up having a big impact on the speed of your packing. For your warehouse team, it can mean saving seconds or minutes on each package, resulting in more orders being packed and shipped per day and saving resources. These efforts can then be put into other parts of the packing process, including improving the quality of your shipments or reducing picking errors. You should therefore look at all elements of the parcel process to see where you can save time. In short, by choosing smarter products, you can cut significant amounts of time from your parcel process.

Save time by using automatic bottoms

You get 3 tangible benefits from boxes with automated bottoms:
Time-saving: boxes can be assembled 2.5X faster than a standard box.

Energy saving: the fact that the boxes are 2.5X faster also means that they are 2.5X easier to assemble for your warehouse team.

Space-saving: warehouse staff have previously reported having to assemble standard boxes in larger quantities at a time, and this can take up space in a warehouse. Automated sortation, on the other hand, provides the ability to assemble a box quickly when the need arises.

Perforated package filling and protection

A good way to save time can be to use perforated parcel filling. This way, you don’t need tools as you can just tear off the quantity you need. By using perforation on bubble wrap, you will save about 25% of time compared to a regular roll of bubble wrap.

Can you close packages without packing tape?

Yes, you can with the right packaging. However, it all depends on the products to be packed. Saving on parcel tape will certainly save you time and money. Tape takes up space in your warehouse, and that means even more packaging you need to make sure you have enough of and room for. There are several boxes and shipping bags that are made with a self-adhesive strip. That way, you save time by using packaging that’s already ready to be sealed. You also save space in the warehouse and save on the amount of packaging tape. You can find some of our most popular solutions here: Webshop boxes

Bubble bags with self-adhesive closure

The bubble bags cover the entire product and the self-adhesive closure ensures that the product is closed inside the bag. Therefore, no extra tape is needed to protect the product. It also means saving time and materials, also they come in an environmentally friendly variant.

The packing table

Some might call it a workstation, a packing table or packing station. Whatever word you use to describe it, it describes the central platform for getting packages packed and ready to be shipped. The packing table allows for more organised and efficient packing. It’s a workstation where tools and packaging have separate places and everything is at your fingertips.

With a complete packing table, you’re always ready to get your shipments packed and shipped. The table has a shelf where you can store all your cardboard boxes and cartons plano until you need to assemble them. Your tools are always ready to use on the built-in storage shelf, where you can also store tape and other small items. In addition, the packing table is also equipped with 2 roll stands: 1 roll stand for packaging paper (so you are always ready to use it for wrapping or packing) and 1 roll stand for foil (this can be a roll of bubble wrap or foam wrap, for example). Finally, of course, the packing table is also equipped with a table top, providing the perfect surface for gathering and packing in the same place where all your materials are located. If you want to further optimise, you can place a packing machine next to your packing table, so you have all the options for packing at your fingertips.

There are several ways you can reduce shipping costs, the two most important being volume and weight reduction. At RAJA we have a range of packaging to help you with this.

It is especially important to look into reducing the void space in your packages. Therefore, see if it might be appropriate to use smaller packaging so that you don’t have to fill the voids with large amounts of package filling.

If you receive a lot of orders for smaller products, you might want to look at packaging for postal items that fits straight into the letterbox. By reducing the size of the packaging and using less parcel filling, you also reduce the weight of your shipments, which in turn has an impact on transport costs.

In many cases, it can be beneficial to replace cardboard boxes with envelopes or shipping bags. Some may argue that bags and envelopes are only relevant for shipping less expensive products. But this type of packaging, it can be a really nice and reliable way to ship your products.

How do you get started?

As I said, volume and weight are the 2 most important factors – but how do you get started optimising? Start by getting an overview of your current packaging by asking these simple questions:

• How many different packages do you send?
• How many different types of packaging do you use?
• What does your packaging weigh?
• Do you have empty shipments?
• What is the mix of large and small packages?
• Where can you use smaller packages?
• What is your freight contract like?

Then you can choose the packaging that best suits the volume of your products. It’s always a balancing act between choosing as few types of packaging as possible, while keeping excess space to a minimum in each shipment.

If you have many types of products and package sizes it is a good idea to involve several of your company’s departments in the packaging decision making process, this can bring great value to your optimization; production, marketing and customer service can typically have knowledge of any issues and at the same time benefit from knowledge of a packaging change.

When you reach the testing phase, it’s important to look at how your changes have impacted freight costs. Keep an eye on it moving in the right direction. In fact, you’ll never finish testing, keep an eye out for changes in package sizes, new products, new packaging options, etc.

If you want further guidance on reducing the amount of packaging, read our post with 4 tips.

Packing and protection are worth giving some thought when it comes to packing your shipments. It both has a big impact on how fast your packing process goes, how much packaging is used for the package and ultimately, that your products arrive without being damaged. Here are some examples of products that help save you time and reduce the amount of materials you use. See our range of secure and protective packaging.

Find the right packaging

If you deliver a large volume of products that don’t fit well into a standard cardboard box, more bespoke packaging may be the solution for you. With these types of special products, it may be a good idea to use packaging that fits and wraps better. That way, you’ll both save on packing density and you’ll save time in the packing process.

Tailor-made packaging offers better protection

By using special packaging that is tailored to your products, you can also reduce damage to your shipments. When the packaging fits, the product doesn’t move around in transit. Tailor-made packaging ensures that your products are kept in place and reduces the need for packing and other protection. Here are three key points:

• Environmentally friendly: by choosing packaging that is more tailored to your products, you avoid the unnecessary use of other packaging.
• Transport costs: more efficient packaging materials mean both lighter shipments and that your shipments take up less space. This reduces your transport costs.
• Time-saving: by using packaging that fits, you end up saving time in the warehouse as the team doesn’t have to spend time on unnecessary packing.

Find out more about your options here: Custom and printed packaging

You can also call our packaging specialists on 44 58 77 00 for advice on the best solution for your business!

Package filling and protection machines

Our packaging machines for package filling and protection are ideal for many e-commerce businesses. Once the machine is up and running, it quickly pays for itself. Once again, it must be stressed: faster and correct packing means both happier customers and a better bottom line. We fully understand that having to buy/rent packaging machinery can be a bit overwhelming if you’re not sure what you’re looking for. That’s why we’ve created a packaging machine guide to give you an idea of what type of machine to choose. Of course, you are also very welcome to contact our packaging specialists to be guided in the right direction.

Call us on 44 58 77 00

When you work with e-commerce, it’s important to focus on the customer experience. This is not just about the buying experience on the website, the customer experience does not end there. It continues, of course, when the customer receives the product. Therefore, it is important to also focus on the packaging for the end user. Here there may be several factors relevant to consider. For example, your customers may want more environmentally friendly packaging (we’ll get into this at the end of the post).

Adapted for mailboxes

As mentioned earlier in this blog post, packaging that fits directly in the post box is relevant when you are retailing smaller products. This can also be an advantage for the recipient of the package. For them, it means they don’t have to be present to receive the package or have to pick it up elsewhere, among other things.

Make it easy for the customer

You can also improve the customer experience by optimising how easy it is to open the parcel. For example, choose packaging that can be opened using perforation. This type of packaging also likes to have a self-adhesive strip for closure. This is an advantage for you as a sender, as you both save time on closing your shipments and reduce the consumption of tape. When we look at self-adhesive closures, there is also packaging with a double self-adhesive closure, which helps with return shipments – this means that there is one closure for the sender and one for the recipient, should the customer wish to return the product. By getting the customer to return in the same packaging, you kill two birds with one stone. 1: You make it easy for the customer to return the product = happier customers. 2: You ensure the product is returned in secure packaging so the product is not damaged = Better bottom line. Within this type of packaging we can offer, among others, mailing boxes, shipping bags and envelopes. See our range of packaging for return shipments.

Present your products

Something else worth thinking about is how you present your products using packaging. Packaging is not just packaging, you have plenty of opportunities to make it more personal! For example, you can choose to use some nice and colourful tissue paper. It combines both protection and presentation of the product. At RAJA we have a wide range of colours for our tissue paper, so you have plenty of options to personalise your shipments. It is also possible to use gift packaging. These include gift boxes, which give a different look to traditional cardboard boxes/mailing boxes.

Last but not least, you create the ultimate branding effect by using printed packaging that brings a personal touch to your shipments and therefore also adds value to your brand. This means that packaging can easily be integrated into your communication, so you can go all the way with the way you choose to present your brand. It’s good for your business and good for your customers that your communications are consistent.

Not only is it beneficial for your brand to choose eco-friendly, it is of course also a great benefit for the environment. At RAJA we focus on environmentally friendly packaging and we have a large selection of environmentally friendly webshop packaging in several different packaging categories.

Always think in alternatives

There are plenty of alternatives to conventional plastic packaging. Take a look at the padded paper shipping bag, for example. The advantage of this version is that it has a built-in padding that protects your products during shipping. Even though it’s made of paper, it’s still dirt and water resistant. We call the product an envelope, but it behaves exactly like a bag, moulding itself around the contents.
You can also choose to use cardboard envelopes as an alternative to plastic packaging. They’re particularly good for sending printed matter, for example – although several models have variable heights, so you can use them for your higher-volume products.

Environmentally friendly closure

Many people may not realise it, but adhesive tape is one of the most effective and environmentally friendly solutions for closing your parcels.

Tip: We would always suggest using a moistening machine when using adhesive tape to close your cardboard boxes.

Removing the tape damages the surface of the cardboard, so you will always be able to see if the box has been opened in the process. In addition, adhesive tape is environmentally friendly and can be recycled with the box. If you want to know more about the benefits of adhesive tape, you can read our post on this topic.

Another environmentally friendly alternative to other types of packaging tape is paper tape. Paper tape has many of the same great properties as synthetic packing tape. Where the tape differs is its recyclable properties, this means that the paper tape can be recycled along with the cardboard box. In this way, you both reduce the environmental footprint and save time by not having to think too much about waste sorting.

Read more about environmentally friendly packaging

If you want to learn more about choosing eco-friendly packaging and read more about a wider range of eco-friendly packaging, you may want to read our blog post focusing on this very topic.

If you are thinking about greening your shipments, feel free to call our packaging specialists for guidance on 44 58 77 00