Why It Might be Time to Make the Switch to Contract Packaging
Contract packaging or co-packing services are when one company hires another company to handle their packaging supply, assembly, order fulfillment, and distribution all in one facility. Co-packing covers the full process of kitting, bundling, and sealing your products to prepare them for retail sale, as well as shipping out orders directly to retailers or customers.
Operational efficiency is vital for FMCGs (fast-moving consumer goods), and the process of making your products shelf-ready is one of the components with the most potential to affect this. Outsourcing your packaging through co-packing services can help you increase the speed and efficiency of getting your products out to the market and free up valuable time and money for other purposes. Co-packing is also a great avenue for taking on larger projects without having to invest in additional in-house equipment or staff.
Contract packaging is advantageous in that it takes the expensive and time-consuming process of assembling displays, packing products, and coordinating freight off of your plate so you can focus on growing your business rather than figuring out the minutiae of complicated logistics. Here’s a list of three key benefits that aligning with a co-packaging partner can provide.
Savings from Using Co-Packing Services
Instead of moving product and packaging from place to place to complete different steps of the order fulfillment process, save on freight costs by narrowing the process down to one location. Inventory carrying costs will also be reduced since your time-to-market will be shorter when you’re working with one partner for a holistic approach to packaging and distribution.
Other cost reductions from co-packing include decreased labor costs, since you won’t have to pay as many different vendors or internal staff to handle packaging and assembly prior to shipping. Damage costs also represent a huge risk in the process of packaging and shipping your products — lessen the chance of damage by removing as many shipping steps as possible so you aren’t eroding your final profits through loss of product and other damage-related costs.
Making Packaging and Order Fulfillment an All-Inclusive Experience
Co-packing not only saves time and money since your products won’t have to be shipped as many places to complete all of the different steps of the packaging and distribution process — it also lets you avoid the hassle of juggling relationships with several packaging- and fulfillment-related businesses at once. You won’t be stuck dealing with communication issues and managing errors between multiple vendors. Co-packing services take the stress of managing complicated logistics off of your shoulders, whether you’re currently managing the order fulfillment process in-house or at an external location separate from your packaging provider.
Making sure every step in the lifecycle of your products is optimized and running smoothly is much more difficult when you’re working with multiple companies on different inventory- and fulfillment-related activities. By trusting in one reliable, all-encompassing co-packing partner, you’ll be able to build a deep business relationship with a company that you can count on. This will result in better communication practices, which will allow you to keep track of your products easier and turn your time and attention elsewhere.
Customized Solutions to Fit Your Unique Needs
By working one-on-one with experts who handle every aspect of your packaging creation, assembly, and distribution, your process will receive more attention for optimization. This added focus promotes the creation of custom solutions to address the specific challenges and priorities associated with your business.
When choosing a co-packer, partner with a company that gives you access to a variety of team members with different areas of expertise who can work together to increase efficiency and quality on every aspect of your packaging. Having a flexible workforce available to you at a moment’s notice can also help make sure everything continues to run smoothly during times of increased demand.
Additionally, you should seek a co-packing partner that has enough experience and proven innovation to fuel creative thinking and custom plan creation. This expertise will ultimately prove invaluable to your business in providing savings alongside quality packaging products and services.
Jamestown’s Co-Packing Capabilities
Jamestown Container Companies’ contract packaging program has been improving packaging systems for companies for more than 60 years. Jamestown offers co-packing services throughout every phase of the packaging process, including product packaging design and assembly, custom packaging options, POP (point-of-purchase) display design and assembly, club store packaging, hand assembly, inventory control management, product distribution, and complete integration with your computer system for a seamless transition.
Our widely adaptable capacity for co-packing services means we’re able to handle small manufacturers, Fortune 500 companies, and everything in between. For examples of the different types of companies we’ve worked with, check out our testimonials page.
Contact Jamestown to learn more about how our co-packing services can improve your packaging and order fulfillment processes and create value for your business.