5 Ways to Reduce Product Delivery Damage
Ensuring that goods arrive at their intended destination is one of the top priorities of any operations, logistics, or warehouse manager. Other than setting up effective shelving systems and working with suppliers who have a equal commitment to reducing delivery damage, there are many things that managers can to do reduce the incidence of produce delivery damage. Read these five practical strategies for getting started.
1. Use a Good Pallet System
Using a secure pallet racking system along with durable pallets in your warehouse allows goods to be stored, picked, and loaded with minimum impact or potential for damage.
Investigate the best types of pallets for your load size and practices. For example, ensure that pallets are use appropriately according to their design. Four-way pallets can facilitate picking from all angles, whereas two-way pallets are designed to be lifted only from two sides without potential for damage.
2. Protecting Exposed Elements
If you’re shipping items stored in drums or totes, make sure their exposed elements are well protected. Valves on drums should be well covered with caps, taped with protective bubble wrap, or otherwise secured as they can leak if bumped during transport and create clean up headaches.
Other items such as pipes or steel tubing can be covered at the ends to reduce damage during transport. This can eliminate the potential for these items being completely usable due to damage and allow employees to load and unload much more efficiently without fear of causing damage.
3. Clear and Effective Labelling
The importance of effective labelling can’t be overstated. This is especially true for fragile and special-attention items. If an item must not be tipped, stacked, or turned, it’s important to make it very clear on all sides of the packaging materials. Consider where the items will be shipped in these boxes. Provide labelling in different languages or graphic representations where necessary.
In some cases, for example, because of high volume shipments, it may make more sense for warehouses to use special purpose boxes for particular products instead of printing out and adhering labels on to individual boxes.
4. Packing
Use Appropriate Packaging Materials
While reduce unnecessary packaging can assist with reducing wastage and cut costs, using inadequate packaging can encourage product damage during storage or delivery. Use cartons with appropriate burst weight for different products. Avoid using cartons that are not designed for multiple use.
If the packaging materials are not designed to be re-used, make sure that the warehouse is following the instructions on the cartons or boxes. Shrink wrapping pallets or units may be necessary to reduce chance of damage.
Optimise Packing Practices
Items should be packed carefully to fill the carton and correctly position the contents. This discourages uneven pressure distribution during transport when the cartons are stacked, and can help reduce damage from broken or splitting cartons.
5. Communicating with Carriers
Along with correct labelling on each individual unit, bills of lading should itemise all products that are being transported. The carrier is thus aware of the items they will be shifting and can highlight special instructions to the carrier. Provide sufficient instructions to carriers to minimise damage during transport.