Many organisations in various industries carry out some form of product packaging inspection; whether they are the producer of cardboard boxes or plastic wrapping, the product manufacturer or just a merchandiser.
The fact of the matter is that along the product lifecycle before reaching the hands of a customer, the product likely moves from location to location, facility to facility, through several operational stages. It is of course imperative that during these stages, product packaging does not become incorrect or damaged as that discards it as waste. As with any supply chain implementing lean management or simply trying to improve its operations, eliminating waste is a key target; hence explaining the need for product packaging inspection. Product packaging inspection must however be not only a thorough process but also an efficient one. As highlighted earlier, the desire to reduce waste does not just mean physical waste, this also references time taken for a product to go through a supply chain; i.e. any long-winded and inefficient processes are a waste of time. Luckily for many industry sectors, organisations can now make use of paperless inspections solutions to undertake both detailed and speedy product packaging inspection.
Product packaging varies depending on the industry sector, the product packaging in question and the organisations’ position in the supply chain. If you are an organisation producing cardboard boxes for postal and logistics services, you may need to carry out rigidity and quality assurance tests on your materials and construction. If you are a product manufacturer importing your product packaging material, you may require inspection of your packaging design and effect on your product or your labelling system. If you operate as a wholesaler or reseller, the inspections may be quality control before final sale to a customer and checking this against quoted stock levels. Regardless of the specific type of inspection that your organisation needs, one underlying importance is raised when considering product packaging inspection. Such systems need to efficient and understandable for partner organisations so that the supply chain can run smoothly. Whether you are receiving an item from upstream or sending it downstream, you want to be assured of the state of the material/product as it comes in and goes out. This way you can effectively measure operational efficiency and your operational waste. It also gives you an idea of where your organisational issues may lie.
