Ecommerce sales have increased over the last three years, primarily due to the pandemic, but now shoppers are leaning into the convenience of having packaged goods delivered. This puts sellers in a situation where they need to adjust their packaging processes to keep up with demand.
There are a few common ways product manufacturers pack and ship products. Bagging is a go-to solution for excellent reasons. Poly bags are safe, efficient and secure. They come in various sizes and film blends to meet application requirements, and can even be customized or printed to enhance a company’s marketing capabilities.
Bagging machines, also known as automatic bagging machines, automatic baggers, or auto baggers, are equipment that quickly and consistently adds products to a poly bag. The machines can also assume a lot of the tiny tasks associated with putting a package together to be shipped safely.
If you’ve found yourself wondering whether or not you need a bagging machine in your operation, there are a few things to consider.
Like all kinds of machinery, bagging machines come with a wide range of pros and cons. For most companies, they are a significant investment that will drive a sea change within their shipping operations. So you need to weigh the benefits of your investment against the risks and losses associated with manual packing.
It’s easy to understand how a machine can speed things up and maintain consistency, and if you’re not sure, check out this video of an automatic bagger handling small parts packaging.
When it comes down to it, you’ll need to examine your current procedure to determine whether or not a bagging machine is the right choice for your organization. Here are a few key questions to consider when it comes time to make that critical decision:
Is my current packaging high quality and consistent?
Have I experienced any product or profit loss because of poorly executed hand packaging?
Are there any issues maintaining consistency?
Am I keeping up with demand? Are my shipments going out late?
How much do I depend on human hands, and at what cost?
If you are asking yourself any of these questions or think you may be facing these issues down the line, now is a terrific time to start doing the research and to speak with a packaging and fulfillment expert, such as the specialists at the Pregis IQ. Depending on your products and the type of auto bagger you select, you can reduce your labor expenses, save money on materials, and possibly eliminate your team’s use of corrugated boxes and the manual labeling process that goes along with getting these packages out the door.
Like any good business decision, the time to invest in a change is when the investment will pay for itself within nine to 12 months after purchase.
Pregis’ line of Sharp bagging systems offers a simple, inherently safe solution that replaces multiple tasks for the packer so they can get more products out the door. These durable machines are designed to withstand the rigors of the ever-changing fulfillment center and can integrate with other solutions to achieve full automation.
Consider this case study where a major department store retailer needed to increase productivity and streamline the packaging of soft goods to keep up with its booming e-commerce business. They implemented 200 Pregis Sharp bagging machines, which allowed them to redeploy 600 packers to other areas in fulfillment. Doing so provided an ROI in under one year with millions in additional labor savings each following year.
more at: https://www.pregis.com/knowledge-hub/when-do-you-need-to-invest-in-an-automatic-bagging-machine/