With October coming quickly, now is the time for businesses to start preparing for the peak period, in order to ensure even better service and more customer satisfaction this year. 

But with so much to consider, it can be tricky to identify exactly how warehouse operations can better arm themselves for the busiest time of year. 

Fortunately, we’ve listed some simple yet highly effective ideas to help your packing operations nail the Q4 peak.

Critical assessment of your current setup 

First and foremost, increasing packing efficiency and reducing waste starts with a process-driven approach. And by initially identifying process slow points and areas of excess material use, you can seek to restructure fulfillment steps to cut potential bottlenecks when things get busy.

• An insufficient number of waste bins
  Too few waste disposal points can result in packers having to halt their work to rid their stations of excess materials.

• Non-reachable packaging essentials
  Poor placement of essentials (such as tape, void-fill and cartons) can cause pauses in workflows, as staff need to halt activity to access the packaging they require.

• Inadequate volumes
  Running out of packaging material can be the difference between a successful day of operations and a backlog of unfulfilled orders.

• A lack of available packing tools
  Too few labellers, sealers and knives often results in added wait times, as staff attempt to clamber for access to the stationery and equipment they need to finish the job.

• A sub-optimal bench layout
  While there may be benefits to distributing packing benches across a large space, to aid in staff movement across otherwise narrow areas, it can sometimes result in significantly longer packing times than is necessary, as journeys across multiple benches become necessary to pack items from start to finish.

• Too few packing benches
  Underestimating the operational stresses of peak by not preparing for potential expansion can create huge disruptions to fulfilment processes, resulting in your workforce having to share cramped workspaces - a particularly tough ask when packing large and bulky goods

Of course, ticking all the boxes and safeguarding your operation against all of the above isn’t always easy, but we’re on hand to make the process smooth and simple, ensuring your operation is armed with a modular, ergonomic and well-stocked packing setup, ahead of the busy period. Contact allpack for information on our packing process consulting services.

Addressing your packaging

While the structural shortfalls in your system might well have been identified, a key component to any packing operation is the choice of packaging solutions being employed. 

If you’re packing high volumes of low-value consumables, a multistage process that involves carton-erecting, adding void-fill and sealing might be sub-optimal. Instead, consider ultra-quick, streamlined options like book wraps, mailing bags and padded envelopes. 

Conversely, ensuring adequate protection for delicate goods is essential. So when required, have ultra-protective wrapping and filling solutions on hand, to keep your products safe in transit. 

Trying to use less plastic this year? Check out our sustainable packaging options for a range of efficient, eco-friendly alternatives to conventional materials.

Perfecting the process 

Now you’re set up with a process-efficient packing layout, laden with nifty storage and access points and all the waste disposal bins you could need. But are your staff clued-in on how to maximise the potential time and cost-saving benefits of your new system? 

That’s where training comes in.

Again, we’re here to help - by empowering your operation with easy-to-implement new systems that drastically reduce downtimes, boost consistency and deliver measurable performance improvements over time. Learn more here. 

To ensure consistent process adoption, set up simple, highly visible instructional pointers throughout your packing area, offering pointers for staff on how to complete their packing in a step-by-step, formulaic manner. Signs and floor graphics are a great way to improve adoption rates quickly.

When manual processes won’t cut it, switching to high-performance automation can be an ideal solution, with everything from carton erectors, sealers and wrapping robots offering consistent performance for businesses scaling up this year.

To make the change to wrapping automation swift and easy, we offer delivery, installation and full operator training of Robopac Automatic Stretch Wrapping Machines for UK customers.

For more information, visit allpack.uk.com, phone allpack on 01543 396700, or email sales@allpack.uk.com to find out how we can identify money-saving opportunities within your business using our expert consulting services.