Peak trading puts unusual pressure on ecommerce fulfilment. Volumes increase just as product variety widens, delivery commitments tighten and businesses face rising labour, transport and packaging costs.
Manual packing struggles with orders containing several unrelated items. Seasonal product formats can make standard carton selection harder, while oversized boxes add corrugated material, empty space and potentially volume-based freight costs. Recruiting and training temporary staff does not remove the underlying variability.
Automated right-sizing systems produce a carton matched to each order. Depending on the configuration, products can be loaded into the carton manually or the box can be formed around the picked goods. Sealing and labelling may also be automated before dispatch.
Packsize says its customers achieve an average 40% reduction in box size. It also states that its systems can replace up to 20 manual packing stations. The operational effect is less dependence on rapidly trained seasonal workers and fewer decisions about carton selection at the point of packing.
Right-sizing can also deliver a materials benefit. The supplier cites potential corrugated savings of up to 30%, alongside a sharp reduction in void fill. Lower packaging inventories can release warehouse space, while smaller parcels may reduce transport costs where pricing reflects volumetric weight.
The business case extends beyond Christmas. By making packing more consistent, automation supports planning for labour, picking, material movement and dispatch capacity. Systems are available at different throughput levels and can be connected with warehouse management, conveying, sorting and picking operations, giving companies a more predictable fulfilment process throughout the year.
A multilingual professional experienced in Europe, Canada, and China, Herbert has developed invaluable networks in the automotive and energy industries. He has led high-profile projects involving ENBW, Mercedes-Benz Group, Siemens Group, and the Fraunhofer Institute.