In the trade and warehouse process, there is first an idea, a task, and then its implementation – this is the proper order of things. It is different when there is implementation first, and the idea is created secondarily! This enigmatic introduction is a provocation for a creative Logistician who adapts delivery systems in the context of packaging. The PRINCIPLE: Ordered goods = sold goods, as sales departments think, is a trivial approach that straightforwardly contributes to collinear defeatism and is an expression of a lack of basic knowledge about distribution logistics.
An extremely important aspect in this matter is planning the appropriate packaging in which goods, placed directly from the production line, are stored for a certain period of time in a warehouse, after which they are delivered to the customer in accordance with the order by an appropriate means of transport. The storage period for goods varies greatly, depending on the specifics of the goods themselves. Designed packaging must therefore meet appropriate sanitary requirements, including chemical neutrality in contact with the stored (transported) goods, but above all, the requirements of logistical ergonomics, i.e., dimensions, material strength, shape – so that they fit into unified pallets, racks, etc.
Usually, no one in the sales departments wonders what the goods will be delivered in. Moreover – absolutely no importance is attached to it! However, like a tireless logistician, they face all challenges in distribution and bravely overcome the collectively invisible problem of packaging, planning both the idea and its implementation, in which one of the leading places is occupied by – PACKAGING.
The article comes from the magazine “Logistyka” 2003/5.