While a cardboard box itself seems like such a minor component of your company, this is often because most people do not realize that the type of box used will greatly impact their ability to send products efficiently.
If you regularly ship products using a cardboard box, then there are several potential pitfalls which could occur by simply selecting the wrong type of cardboard box for your specific needs.
Some of these issues include wasting money, increasing the amount of time spent packaging, and damaging your customer orders.
In this article we’ll provide some ways to select the appropriate cardboard box for your business.
**Selecting the Correct Dimensions (Size)**
We have all had experiences where we received a package and inside were many layers of bubble wrap or packing peanuts. This is likely due to shipping a smaller item in a large box.
This increases the cost of the material needed as well as the time required to package and prepare the item for shipping. A far more efficient option would be to use cardboard boxes specifically designed for your products. You should allow sufficient room for cushioning; however, you shouldn’t have to fill excessive amounts of unused space in a box when shipping a small item.
Using cardboard boxes which meet the dimensions of your products will assist in saving money on packaging supplies as well as lower your shipping costs.
**Do Not Purchase Strength That Is Unnecessary**
There are many instances when companies will purchase cardboard boxes with high strength ratings and never utilize them. When shipping light weight items, a standard cardboard box typically has all the necessary features to adequately support it. However, heavier products require more robust cardboard boxes. For example, shipping a number of textbooks versus shipping a couple shirts. These represent two completely different types of jobs. Selecting the correct cardboard box strength will ensure that you have adequate protection of your products while minimizing unnecessary expense.
**Simplify the Process of Packing**
When your staff members are responsible for preparing/packing 50-100 packages per day, a delay of even a minute or less can become cumulative. One simple example of how easy it becomes to create inconvenience is when searching through multiple containers of different sized boxes to locate a box to place an order in. Having multiple commonly utilized box sizes readily available near your employees’ workstations will significantly improve efficiency in the process of packing. Staffers can quickly identify the proper box size and place the order inside the box. This eliminates guesswork, wasted time, and headaches.
**Protect the Satisfaction of Your Customers**
Nobody likes opening a package and finding damage to the contents. Damaging products can result in returns/refunds/ replacements as well as dissatisfied customers. Utilizing cardboard boxes that properly secure and protect your products is crucial. In addition to utilizing suitable cardboard boxes, they must be compatible with the product being shipped. Fragile items may require additional protection via extra cushioning. Heavier items may require stronger side panels. All packages should fit securely within the box so that movement/shifting occurs minimally throughout transit.
**Small Savings Can Result in Large Amounts Over Time**
Although saving $0.05 on a single shipment may appear insignificant, what happens if you are sending out 1,000 packages each month? Those small savings can equate to substantial dollars saved over time. Therefore, it makes sense to invest some time thinking about how you can optimize the selection of cardboard boxes for your business at Packaging Supplies.com. We offer a wide variety of cardboard boxes that can accommodate all forms of shipping requirements whether you ship dozens or hundreds of packages.