For buyers, learning the right time to start the process of outsourcing wooden containers is a learned skill.
For companies that handle most of their packaging in-house it can be hard to determine when its time to reach out for help.
Valley Box created this post to help new buyers determine when to buy wood crates.
I'm ready to buy wood crates!
You know its time to Buy Wood Crates when you have ...
Overwhelming Volume
Your packaging volume under or over employs your own packaging lines, either short or long term. The pressure of new business or deadlines creates a heavy, short-term workload for which you require experienced help to supplement the efforts of in-house staff.
Short-term Project
There's a specific, short-term requirement that may be better served by specific packaging experience or equipment you don't have.
Capital Expenses
Perhaps there is no available in-house equipment or expertise for a particular job which may require the investment in new equipment, special machinery or highly-skilled labor
Labor Shortage
The plant is closing for maintenance or faced with a labor availability problem.
Environmental Fees
The company is faced with a high investment to meet regulatory and environmental compliance.
New Design Requirements
Your product usually ships one at a time, but a new order has made it advantageous to ship multiple in one wooden container. These new packaging methods & equipment may be unfamiliar to staff. Consult with the packaging experts to design a multi-pack container that is outside of the scope of your internal capabilities.
Outsourcing wooden containers at the right time has advantages:
- Reduce your costs by getting just the right amount of packaging
- Boost revenue by lowering packaging costs
- Gain access to experts in the packaging industry
- Avoid In-House Labor Shortages by outsourcing the wooden container
- Allows company's to focus on core business strengths (while the packaging experts take care of the rest)
Before you Buy Wood Crates
If you've determined that you need to buy wood crates, you'll need to define your specific needs so you can communicate them to a potential service provider. Check out 10 Things to Do Before You Buy Wood Crates
When to buy wood crates also depends on your type of manufacturing process. Check out When a Manufacturer Should Plan for Wood Boxes for some helpful insight on your type of manufacturing and how it relates to wooden containers.
And finally, if you've decided to work with a new supplier you should fully vet their capabilities read Valley Box's 10 Questions To Ask Before Hiring a Wooden Crate Manufacturer.
