Evaluating your packaging supplier might be pretty low on your To-Do list—coming up right after all those other fires that you needed to put out yesterday. But when you notice a surge in customer complaints about products arriving damaged or you realize it will be eight weeks until your next shipment of corrugated boxes come in, you might wish you had an alternative.
At the end of the day, your job is hard enough. A packaging supplier should help lighten the load, not add to it. Try running your current vendor through the checklist below to see how they measure up.
Are they an end-to-end solution?
You may be happy with your packaging, but if you’re having to collaborate with a third-party graphic designer to get to the final product, it adds weeks if not months to the process. The same goes for retail displays. Some vendors produce, assemble, and stock your displays so they arrive ready for action. Does yours?
It might be time to shop around if you’re having to link up with multiple vendors to get your packaging from conception to design to the packing floor.
Do you wish they had shorter lead times?
We often hear that lead times are getting longer–around four to six, or even eight weeks–and you can’t afford to stop fulfilling orders for that long. You may want to see what else is on the market, maybe even a company that can get your packing supplies to you in two to three weeks. Some even offer next-day delivery!
Are your products arriving damaged?
Products arriving damaged to the customer is almost worse than products shipping late. In the era of Amazon Prime, you have to ship quickly and efficiently, or it reflects negatively on your brand. If your packaging doesn’t seem to be holding up as well these days, your supplier might have switched to cheaper materials…leaving you to pay the price at the other end.
If you’re questioning the quality of your packing materials, it might be time for a redesign or to start asking questions about the materials being used.
Are they flexible on quantity when you place orders?
For some, consistent, bulk orders are the perfect setup (we’re looking at you, toilet paper manufacturing plants), but for others, more flexible options are a better fit. For example, if you wanted to implement a special holiday design during December, you don’t need a three-month supply.
Nobody wants to get roped into larger orders with larger price tags, especially when you’ll have to store or throw away what’s left.
So, what are your options?
If you’re confident that your current vendor has the skills to do better, you may want to ask them for a redesign, as we mentioned above. Perhaps your needs have shifted slightly and your old packaging simply needs to be updated. But if you’re fed up with the service your packaging supplier is providing, you can use the above list to evaluate alternative vendors.
Meet Lawrence Paper Company
When it comes to design, packaging and fulfillment of your valuable products, Lawrence Paper Company offers innovative, custom designs in boxes that protect and promote from the loading dock to the shopping cart.
Lawrence Paper Company quality comes in any quantity. That’s right, any and all. From a single box to millions and more, we can deliver any number of units – quickly and economically.
