What is Cartonization?
Cartonization is an algorithmic process which prepares orders for fulfillment by determining the quantity, size, and type of container required to optimize packaging the order. Cartonization can intelligently group the lines of an order into subsets of work for outbound shipping package.
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Cartonization selects shipping packages based on:
- Product characteristics
- Costs of packaging materials
- Cost of packing labor
Cartonization fulfills two types of needs. The first is a business need. Cartonization reduces the cubic size needed for the shipping package. The second is the customer need. Cartonization allows shipped items to be neat, orderly and packed in environmentally-friendly packaging.
Both expectations need to be met while maintaining productivity, efficiency, and environmental consciousness. Conveyco Order Management Software, with cartonization functionality, is a module of our Warehouse Execution Software (WES), a single system to optimize—not only the packaging you use—but the entire order fulfillment process.
How factors of the right size, type and quantity of containers can be determined through packaging optimization
- Cube and Orientation– Using the product’s actual dimensions and rotating its orientation provides more efficient packing and requires a smaller shipping container. This methodology is much more accurate than simply calculating the total dimensions of an order and applying an efficiency factor (liquid fill) to make sure the accurate container is selected. Cube and Orientation yields a smaller shipping container and reduces the amount of dunnage and labor required.
- Product Attributes– We link product characteristic such as fragility, leakage, compressibility to an order. This allows us to choose the right packaging option based on the product characteristics.
- Durable goods, such as bagged apparel, can be directed to highly efficient and low-cost packaging such automatic baggers.
- Products that might leak in transit are sent to a station set up to secure caps and containment bags.
- Fragile products may need to be directed to a special handling station to use a specific type of dunnage.
- Different products within the same order may need to be packed in separate shipping containers.
- Special Handling, such as gift wrapping, additional checking or customer specific collateral may be required within an order. Cartonization identifies these types of orders, then the WES uses the information to group similar orders together for shipping.
Cartonization can be configured to select the least expensive container based on material and packing labor costs.
The overarching goal of cartonization is to increase the efficiency of order fulfillment and minimize freight costs for every order shipped. The software can be configured to the unique aspects of your products and operation to create the RightFIT solution.
