Was 2016 Everything You Thought It Was Going To Be For Your Distribution Center?

No seriously...was it really as great as you wanted?  Did you not grow this year?  Were your processes not on point?  Did any of your lines shut down?  Did you run out of vital supplies? Or did any of your supplies fail? Were your vendors not there for you when you needed them the most?

If you answered “yes” to even just one of these questions, then now is a great time to make sure that it doesn’t happen again in 2017. And what does that involve…understanding and change; two very unnerving topics for many distribution centers.

According to Distribution Center which focuses on the HVACR industry, there are three challenges distributors are facing, with one of those being quickly refining their current processes. So that leads us back to the original questions at the top of this blog. You have to understand if you answered “yes” to any of those questions is what went wrong, and how are you going to fix it.  And the beginning of the year is the perfect time; before you get into the holiday seasons and you have a fresh outlook on the year.

So what can you do if you had problems in the past. Make changes.  Talk to expects who understand how both simple, and very complex, distribution centers operate and get their feedback.  What businesses fail to see at times is suppliers need you to succeed in order for them to grow as well.  Reach out to them; invite them to see your operation and get their feedback. Request label samples. There are times when you have looked at a process so many times, that fresh eyes are the best way to gain new perspectives.  But don’t wait! The faster you address issues in your operation, the faster you will see improvements.

Can Switching Shipping Labels Really Help Reduce Mistakes?

The answer is YES! Switching labels can absolutely help eliminate costly mistakes.  There are varying degrees to how much a change can help depending on your current fulfillment center’s operations; however, if you have discovered a specific issue, you need ways to fix it and become efficient again.

If mistakes are being caused by the wrong packing slip being inserted into the wrong package, there are several products out there that can help eliminate this issue. Integrated labels, full label cut sheets, and other similar combinations where the shipping label and packing list are both printed on the same form, at the same time, could help with this problem.  These label form products work well as long as you drop the packing list in the box immediately after applying the shipping label.  This will avoid accidentally dropping the wrong packing slip into the wrong box further down the line. 

However, if your process is a bit different and your box may be in several areas, or very large, another great product is the fold under label option.  The unique feature on these labels is not only do you print the shipping and packing slip information on the same form, but they never get separated…at least not until the customer has their package in their hands. Meaning when you peel-off the label, you fold under the packing slip, and affix the entire thing to the box. No mismatching!

Regardless of the option you choose, all of the options mentioned eliminate that sometimes dreaded “invoice enclosed” pouch, where you have to take the time to fold the packing list, put it in the pouch, seal it, peel off the backing, and affix to the carton. Not only does this increase your chance of errors, but it can kill productivity in a growing business. Try it for a month…a week…even a couple of days. You will be surprised at how much you can achieve, and even learn, by trying something new in your distribution center.

Shipping Labels That Make You Say HMMMMM…

When you think of shipping labels, many immediately think of the white 4” x 6” labels on a roll that go through a printer and you slap on a box. We have come a very long way, and the development of creative designs to solve unique problems is the fun part of the printing world. Don’t get me wrong, the simple labels play an extremely important role in shipping, but different is great too.

One of my very favorite shipping labels is the fold-under label. This design solved a very interesting set of issues: 

1.       How can we print a shipping label and packing list in one pass to avoid mismatching mistakes?

2.       How can we save on toner? Or maybe even print heads?

3.       How can we include an invoice to a closed shipping carton without using a plastic “invoice enclosed” pouch to insert it in?

The fold-under label is one big label that had adhesive free areas.  You basically can print both the invoice/packing list and shipping label on one form eliminating costly mismatching mistakes.  Once printed, you can peel off the back label liner, fold the invoice/packing list information under, and affix the label to the box.  When the customer receives their package, they simply follow the pre-printed instructions on the label to tear off the “zip-strip” and they have their packing list in their hands. No more costly “Packing-List Enclosed” pouches.  For productivity, this means a person will not have to fold, insert, seal and affix a separate pocket to the carton and risk it falling off.

Fold-under labels are typically produced on direct thermal material, which obviously means they run through a direct thermal printer.  How does this benefit distribution centers? No toner and print heads which could potentially save them a ton of money.

It is a little mind-blowing that one shipping label can impact an FC so much.  It isn’t an option for everyone, but it is definitely worth a look !