Caroline McGilliard, Macfarlane Packaging: 2022 is set against a challenging landscape for businesses with warehousing and logistics operations. Costs are increasing, with inflation figures reaching a 30 year high in December 2021 (5.4%) and energy prices forecast to rise significantly.
This is not good news for supply chains that are already facing the challenges of material shortages as well as the cost increases on stock, energy, and labour. The whole of the UK is experiencing a labour and skills shortage, with the UK Government stats recording 1.2 million job vacancies in the three months to November 2021.
As businesses focus on managing costs, suppliers are being put under increased pressure to identify savings.
But when a situation is challenging, it forces businesses to take stock, really think about what they are doing and often this identifies fresh opportunities.
Packaging supply is typically considered an easy target for cost reduction, with many businesses working with suppliers on a “like for like” tender basis. This is great to save some cost but, what happens when these savings have been exhausted?
The old phrase ‘If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got’ is very relevant to packaging. If you keep focusing on the price of your current packaging, you’ll always get packaging that delivers the same outcome.
Macfarlane Packaging takes a more holistic approach to working with customers on packaging cost reduction.
A switch of focus to the packaging itself can help to identify key areas for improvement. This helps to create a solution that delivers larger savings throughout the supply chain, as well as positively contributing towards customers’ environmental goals.
A fresh approach to the packaging design could increase productivity and throughput to combat labour shortages, improve palletisation or parcel cubage to reduce the number of delivery vehicles needed, or simply reduce damages to minimise the costs (and waste) associated with product replacement.
Using a new industry leading tool – the Packaging Optimiser™ – Macfarlane Packaging can identify the right solution and provide an illustration of cost, time and greenhouse gas savings that can be achieved by having a fresh look at customers’ packaging, helping businesses to identify CO2e reductions for ESG reporting.
As well as providing packaging solutions that deliver savings, Macfarlane also designs and installs improved warehouse and packing room layouts, including standalone and integrated automation. This service maximises existing space and can allow businesses to reach their projected growth without the need for new premises.
For more information about Macfarlane Packaging and the Packaging Optimiser visit macfarlanepackaging.com/optimiser
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