Good manufacturing planning should include packing and shipping
Most companies spend a lot of effort on the planning of their product build, but often, once the product is ready to ship, businesses seem to forget about the shipping and just assume that the job is done. Unfortunately, the customer is not satisfied until they have the product in their hands.
For many types of industrial products, packaging and shipping is a big deal. Poorly packaged/ crated product or improper logistics can results in unneeded delays or damage. Non heat-treated or non-compliant wood packaging that doesn’t meet ISPM15 requirements will also cause delays and added expense. When a piece of equipment arrives on the customers dock damaged, it doesn’t make them feel better that your production process went flawlessly.
In an ideal world, the product arrives on the customers dock in perfect shape the day after you finished it at your plant. Unfortunately, when it comes to shipping, the world is not perfect. There are many considerations and issues that may need to be addressed before a large crate can be shipped.
The best advice we can give is to spend an appropriate amount of time planning your shipments. This means that someone should be working out the crating and shipping details long before your product is built and ready to ship. Spending a little time making sure the packing and shipping is planned out can result in a faster delivery with a lower risk of damage. The best resources to use are your crating and shipping professionals. They have the knowledge and expertise to make sure the proper crating and transport is used. Contacting them a couple weeks in advance of your shipping date will ensure that there is enough time to address all obstacles. An additional benefit of involving a qualified packaging company is they may be able to provide additional input regarding the actual design of your product which may compliment and reduce packaging and labor costs as well!
Here are some blog posts and articles that you might find helpful:
This blog post reviews the weight and load restrictions for over the road shipments: “How much cargo can I load in my container?”
This article reviews some important packaging and crating considerations: “Custom Crating Considerations?”. This article gives some general overview on shipping methods: “Examining the importance of packaging in the distribution environment”
A lot of things can go wrong during product transport, as this blog post reminds us: “ Why you need a packaging and crating expert.”
Finally another blog post reminding of the importance of proper packing: “The biggest cause of shipping damage is poor packing”
In summary, the packing and shipping of your product needs to part of the product planning process. Choosing professionals to take care of these needs and giving them enough time to do the job right is critical for shipping success.