With warehouses bulging at the seams and supply chains fragmented by the teething problems of Brexit, there has never been a stronger case for companies to outsource all or part of their operations. The answer lies with the BCMPA and its 180 plus members.
For readers not familiar with the BCMPA, we are the Association for Contract Manufacturing, Packing, Fulfilment & Logistics, so as the name suggests our members can offer a wide range of 3rd party storage and distribution services. But they are also particularly strong on providing value-added services such as contract packing, kitting, producing rapidly changing SKUs, returns handling, repacking and labelling. These can be irritatingly time-consuming tasks for logistics companies whose warehouses aren’t necessarily set up for large teams of people on socially distanced manual packing lines.
Co-Packers are born to be flexible
Contract packers, who have lain at the heart of the BCMPA for the last twenty years, are by nature nimble and resilient creatures who are experienced at adjusting swiftly to peaks such as Easter, Christmas and Black Friday. Their inherent flexibility is a skill much valued throughout the trials and tribulations of the pandemic.
The growth in demand for end-to-end service has put BCMPA members in a very good place, often being able not only to handle the secondary and tertiary packing and storage of customers’ goods, but also where required, to manufacture products and then fill them into bottles, tubes, pouches etc. For example our members have produced hundreds of millions of sanitiser products over the last year, as well as organising the order fulfilment and distribution.
Outsourcing eCommerce Fulfilment
With conventional retail outlets closed or severely restricted, brand owners have had to adjust to new ways of getting their products to the end-user. Not difficult for some of the majors perhaps, but for smaller brands who haven’t previously had to go via this route, being able to outsource ecommerce fulfilment to a third party has saved the day – and left them free to focus on the core function of marketing their products.
How can the BCMPA help?
All the services mentioned above, and many more, can all be found on the BCMPA website, with a comprehensive search facility enabling companies to shortlist members with the capabilities they require. Alternatively there is an online enquiry form where customers can outline their requirements, which are then disseminated free of charge to our members.
Rodney Steel
Chief Executive, BCMPA
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