The Packaging Assessment

1. The Packaging Assessment The ultimate goal of packaging is to deliver a product in pristine condition, exactly when it is needed, which seems easy in theory. Akers Packaging Service Group’s goal is to do that on time, every time. The essential factors that go into creating a box are determining a product’s size and weight, but to create the perfect packaging requires an extra level of knowledge. Akers prides itself on designing and manufacturing custom corrugated packaging for your products like oddly-shaped, bulky, oversized, fragile, and high-end items. Because Akers specializes in custom corrugated, they know what to ask, what to look for, and what it takes to create that ideal box for a complex product. CREATING THE “JUST-RIGHT” BOX DESIGN To create the “just-right” box design, Akers takes a deep dive into the entire world surrounding the products being shipped — a packaging audit. Akers achieves this intimate level of understanding by partnering with customers onsite at their facilities to conduct full packaging assessments of the customer’s packaging and shipping procedures. Akers’ engineers and designers meet directly with customers to learn and discuss specific needs, including the unique, industry-specific demands which are often placed on the product that create shipping and packaging woes. It may seem like an extensive process, but by getting a full grasp on specifics like a customer’s assembly space, storage temperatures and humidity, handling processes, how employees move around the manufacturing floor and warehouse, and where & how customer’s ship their product; Akers is able to design packaging that provides more than just a box, they provide a streamlined solution for the customers shipping and packaging needs. Ultimately, knowing precisely how, where, and when a box is moving through a customer’s facility, Akers can reduce packaging and shipping time. HOW A PACKAGING AUDIT CAN HELP YOUR BUSINESS A prime example of how Akers is able to utilize a packaging audit for a customer happened recently in Kentucky. A customer in the automotive industry was seeking a packaging update to help reduce lead times and overall inventory in their warehouse. Knowing that Akers possessed superior expertise in creating custom corrugated boxes, the customer invited Akers’ engineers onsite to look at the entire set-up of various facilities. Meeting with both leadership and warehouse employees, the Akers’ team was

2. able to create a box that helped the customer institute a true “Just-In-Time” shipping solution. It was much faster and easier to assemble which allowed employees to package products on an as-needed basis. They were also able to downsize the entire inventory storage space thus creating a massive cost savings for the entire packaging and shipping life-cycle. THE RIGHT PACKAGING DESIGN CAN IMPROVE OPERATIONS On a more personal level, Akers was able to utilize the packaging overhaul to increase the day-to-day employee satisfaction of the customer. Given the opportunity to both observe the packaging and talk with employees onsite, Akers learned that the original packaging design created issues for employees during assembly which resulted in several emerging cases of carpal tunnel syndrome. With this knowledge, Akers was able to design the updated boxes to prevent the same kind of physical assembly issues, creating a safer and happier environment for the employees. Cost efficiency and improved employee safety & satisfaction are just a few ways a full packaging assessment can benefit a customer. Ensuring that a product is received faster, better protected, and in the ideal box designed around the customer’s product is their pledge. If you would like to explore how your packaging and shipping life-cycle can be improved and cost you less, reach out to the nearest Akers’ location, and a representative will show you how superior service and custom packaging can make your shipping experience easier.