Consafe Logistics offers a smart solution to cut down on the amount of air being shipped
With the relentless rise of online shopping, more packages are being delivered around the world than ever before. For businesses that ship goods directly to clients, this is mostly a good thing, but the increased demands can give rise to new challenges, like how to quickly choose the right packaging for a product, and how to reduce the amount of air being shipped. Consafe Logistics’ box calculation tool can help solve both.
Shipping air can be a costly issue for any business, as packages become unnecessarily large for relatively small items. More often than not, the larger the package being shipped, the more it costs in postage. PostNord is driving an initiative to raise awareness around this issue, and Consafe Logistics can already now provide an excellent solution.
Our box calculation tool has been a part of our offering for many years and has regularly been updated with improved functionality since it was first introduced.
“Box calculation takes all the dimensions of the products to be packed,” says Mikael Brorsson, Astro WMS® Product Manager at Consafe Logistics, “add them together, and finds the right package. The products need to be defined in the system first, but once there, our solution will always suggest the most efficient packaging. It even leaves room for packing materials where needed.”
This can also be integrated into the picking process, so the picker has the right packing material before the item gets to the packing station. This means the entire process is more cost efficient thanks to the time saved in the warehouse.
Cost-efficient functionality
Consafe Logistics recently launched an update to box calculation which now adds cost as a parameter, making this already smart solution even smarter. Postage cost and the amount of air shipped often go hand in hand, but that’s not always the case. Now the Consafe Logistics solution can minimize both.
“Dimensions will always be prioritized,” adds Mikael. “But we wanted to offer a system which could result in real cost savings, as well as ensuring all items are shipped in the most suitable packing. Consafe Logistics is actively trying to help companies reduce the amount air being shipped, and we encourage our customers to constantly review how they’re working with packing material based on order patterns and assortments they have. It’s something you have to work with consistently, and if everyone does the same, it could make a real difference.”
This makes a difference on a financial level, but it can also help to reduce the environmental impact of logistics and shipping industries on a global scale. This technology will only get more sophisticated too, as more data becomes available and AI becomes more advanced.
“Customers really appreciate the box calculation,” concludes Mikael. “We will continue to add more sophisticated rules, just as we have already been developing this tool for years. Now you can set it up exactly the way you need it. It will continue to evolve, and we are working more with data and looking at applying AI logic to help our customers prepare for whatever the future holds.”
