Now that you have decided to opt for custom wholesale packaging Boxes for your business. Let us narrow down some primary considerations for choosing services within the industry to better accomplish your custom packaging requirements. It is critical to know beforehand your exact business requirements so that you can make sure your product launch is executed successfully.
Following are some of the main factors that need to be taken into account for choosing the right custom packaging company for your business.
Learn as much as possible about the Packaging Company
Not many people know that manufacturers and solution providers are not the same. It is advisable to learn as much as possible about the packaging company. This helps you decide what services you require from them. The main difference between solution providers and manufacturers is that solution providers manufacture and provide solutions while manufacturers are not able to provide exact solutions to your product. They only manufacture what they have been told to without giving any thought to it. And it is important to understand their difference as it results in cost-effective and time-saving solutions, apart from ensuring high-quality results.
Manufacturers and Solution Providers
Every manufacturer holds expertise in the processes. But how do you make sure that a certain manufacturer is right for your specific packaging needs?
You will have to employ several service providers if you choose to work with a manufacturer. Therefore, it’s critical that you compare and contrast the companies you employ for your custom product packaging. Take a good look at their processes before finalizing one.
Make sure that your manufacturer has a quick response time, offers quality printing, and delivers on time. Moreover, it is very important that they have low-error rates so that you do not have to spend your budget on producing new packaging just in case something goes wrong. While this may take a little more time, eventually your packaging will be engineered to fit your specifications precisely and accurately.
As a thumb rule, prefer the manufacturer with low error rates as they will be useful in the long run.
It is also important to have a good understanding of the price breakdowns which are as follows.
- Setup Charges: Preparing machines specifically for your box specifications
- Tooling: Getting the right components and machines required for the production of your project
- Quality Control: For prevention of wastage
- Shipping and Delivery: Getting printed packages from manufacturer to your warehouse
You would have to decide whether to opt for domestic or international company to work with. If you prefer to make your packaging a sustainable project with lesser carbon emissions., then you must opt for local source with least transportation However, if you are looking for the best pricing, then you must outsource your packaging to international manufacturers which offer best pricing.
In both cases, remember that manufacturers will only provide you with production services. And you will have to outsource all the other services that you would need.
Solution providers, on the other hand, offer not only production services but also assume responsibility for project cycle management. They provide guidance for your packaging design process, manufacturing and logistics. Most importantly, they can provide you with complete packaging solutions for optimal protection and cost effectiveness.
Setting up a Packaging Budget
Setting up the budget is very important and requires that you do volume planning properly. Volume planning involves determining order quantity; its launch plan; and setting up costs for it. The project details for your packaging is vital to determining the costs and in turn helps you make an informed decision on which packaging company to choose.
Remember that most of the custom packaging companies will offer a large minimum order due to the set up costs of production. So, if you are a small sized business you may want to opt for companies that have a lower minimum order rate to efficiently accommodate your needs. Moreover, prior to sourcing your custom packaging, you should have a good idea of how many units you’ll need for your products.
Packaging Specialists help you determine the optimal quantity of order for your products to optimize your costs more effectively. Your dyelines are printed on large sheets which means optimizing space on these sheets will minimize your set up costs.
Volume planning is important to determining which company can best optimize your specifications based on your order quantity, timeline and set up costs. Packaging cost depends on a number of factors like design, materials being used and the number of units, apart from other factors.
Based on your project details, the packaging costs can change drastically, making it hard to give a definite price at first glance. However, setting up a maximum budget limit for your packaging project can help you make better decisions for your overall packaging supply budget.
In case, you are working with a manufacturer, he will not contribute to optimize your budget, and will simply manufacture what you order. However, solution providers will optimize the cost of materials, printing, finishing and design to make sure it falls into your desired price range.
Let us explore some of the options that can help you optimize costs without compromising the quality you want. Finding the right structural design; crafting dyelines that can reduce weight and material usage can result in effective optimization. These practices can help to finalize the most cost friendly box that fulfills your packaging requirements.
Compare the Quality of Packaging Materials
Comparing materials of various solution providers also helps you choose the right packaging company for your business. Remember that you do not have to opt for the highest quality materials.
Packaging specialists can provide important guidance on material optimization. This means they will help you pick the right material for your products based on your branding, product specifications and customer journey.
Furthermore, packaging specialists can give healthy advice regarding extra packaging materials depending on your product needs. This may include: protective inserts; structural design features; and material changes
Understanding Quality Control
Custom packaging companies should conduct quality tests for their materials to ensure optimal support, protection and durability of your product packaging. For instance, if a custom packaging company carries corrugated packaging materials, these materials should be tested using the Edge Crush Test (ECT) and the Burst Strength Test (Mullen). These tests can verify the durability and strength of your corrugated boxes and make sure that your highly valued customers are receiving the quality they expect.
The best thing about custom or retail packaging is that it can be 100% tailored to your product and customers’ needs and helps you enhance your brand exposure to a maximum. Using quality control measures, packaging specialists will optimize your costs using quality tested materials and structures.
Consider the following scenario. Have you ever ordered a small item from Amazon and it comes in a giant box, apparently floating in paper and plastic for no apparent reason? Size optimization helps avoid using unnecessary amounts of materials and saves plenty of your cash.
This means measuring your product to fit into your custom packaging with the least amount of materials possible, while still offering your product the protection and support it needs.
Take your time and clearly decide what you require for your packaging.
Plan for Logistics and Warehousing
The final step before completion of your custom packaging project is having a shipping and warehousing plan for your product packaging. Working with logistics services can help you with your shipping and warehousing options. this will ensure that your custom packaging is well accommodated and arrives in time for your product launch.
By using logistics services, you’re better able to track your packaging and receive any updates regarding its location, issuance, delays and reroutes. If you are using several shipping methods, you will be able to estimate the arrival time and transfers from one site to another. Solution providers can help you plan your logistics and warehousing process since they offer project management services.
Logistics can assist you in planning the most efficient packaging methods and routes that are cost-friendly and ensure punctuality for your product launch. Your timelines will determine what mode of transportation to use. If your time constraints are fairly strict, air shipment or ground transportation may be the most reliable. However, you should also consider costs and arrange accordingly. In case you have a flexible timeline, sea shipment can also be utilized. The transportation method and route you choose not only saves time but also avoids any uncertainties regarding your product packaging.
In a nutshell, it is best to find a company that can cover all the grounds discussed above to ensure your custom packaging journey runs smoothly.