•   Exclusive

Packaging’s new role in e-fulfillment

The challenges facing e-commerce shipments don't begin and end with last-mile delivery and reverse logistics. Anyone fulfilling e-commerce orders also has to grapple with the high cost of parcel shipping and consumers who want to minimize the amount of packaging they have to contend with. It's time for a packaging strategy.

Subscriber: Log Out

Sorry, but your login has failed. Please recheck your login information and resubmit. If your subscription has expired, renew here.

This is an excerpt of the original article. It was written for the May-June 2018 edition of Supply Chain Management Review. The full article is available to current subscribers.

May-June 2018

Last month, I was in Atlanta at the Modex trade show. In one sense, it is a tribute to the automation technologies managing today’s distribution networks. And, I’m not only talking about automated materials handling systems, but also the software and NextGen technologies such as robotics, wearable technologies, including smart glasses and augmented reality solutions and sensors enabling the Internet of Things. In another sense, all of these solutions are coming together to drive fulfillment. With the increase in e-commerce, getting the right product to the right customer at the right time has never been more important.
Browse this issue archive.
Already a subscriber? Access full edition now.

Need Help?
Contact customer service
847-559-7581   More options
Not a subscriber? Start your magazine subscription.

If you purchased the new release of a Stephen King novel from Amazon back in the late 90s, in all likelihood you paid for shipping and waited a week or more for the book to arrive on your porch in an over-sized box filled with air pillows. As you read the pages of King’s latest thriller, you probably didn’t stop to think that you might have been at the front end of a fundamental disruption in the way consumers shop, retailers sell to their customers and supply chain operations fill an order. You just wanted the convenience of having a book delivered to your door.

Now, let’s fast forward 20 years and think about the way things have changed. Order that same book today, and you probably expect it to arrive on your doorstep in two days or less—and if you live in an urban area, perhaps in a matter of hours. In many cases, the delivery is free. And, in the best-case scenario—and we want to emphasize best case—the packaging has been optimized for the book, minimizing the amount of waste you, the customer, send to the landfill.

The logistics associated with that 21st century e-fulfillment supply chain are astounding; what’s more, the pressure for organizations to keep up with a whirlwind of changes and customer expectations is greater than ever. And, it’s only going to get worse. While e-commerce makes up just 10% of global retail purchases, sales are steadily rising and organizations across the globe are scrambling to fulfill orders in geographical regions they previously haven’t served. As a result, retailers are forced to carefully manage their customers’ buying experiences in the fight to earn their loyalty. That is resulting in faster click-to-ship order processing times, constant communication with the customer and speedier delivery. Additionally, the omni-channel supply chain has transformed last mile strategies and added new levels of complexity when serving customers.

This complete article is available to subscribers only. Log in now for full access or start your PLUS+ subscription for instant access.

SC
MR

Sorry, but your login has failed. Please recheck your login information and resubmit. If your subscription has expired, renew here.

From the May-June 2018 edition of Supply Chain Management Review.

May-June 2018

Last month, I was in Atlanta at the Modex trade show. In one sense, it is a tribute to the automation technologies managing today’s distribution networks. And, I’m not only talking about automated materials…
Browse this issue archive.
Access your online digital edition.
Download a PDF file of the May-June 2018 issue.

If you purchased the new release of a Stephen King novel from Amazon back in the late 90s, in all likelihood you paid for shipping and waited a week or more for the book to arrive on your porch in an over-sized box filled with air pillows. As you read the pages of King's latest thriller, you probably didn't stop to think that you might have been at the front end of a fundamental disruption in the way consumers shop, retailers sell to their customers and supply chain operations fill an order. You just wanted the convenience of having a book delivered to your door.

Now, let's fast forward 20 years and think about the way things have changed. Order that same book today, and you probably expect it to arrive on your doorstep in two days or less—and if you live in an urban area, perhaps in a matter of hours. In many cases, the delivery is free. And, in the best-case scenario—and we want to emphasize best case—the packaging has been optimized for the book, minimizing the amount of waste you, the customer, send to the landfill.

The logistics associated with that 21st century e-fulfillment supply chain are astounding; what's more, the pressure for organizations to keep up with a whirlwind of changes and customer expectations is greater than ever. And, it's only going to get worse. While e-commerce makes up just 10% of global retail purchases, sales are steadily rising and organizations across the globe are scrambling to fulfill orders in geographical regions they previously haven't served. As a result, retailers are forced to carefully manage their customers' buying experiences in the fight to earn their loyalty. That is resulting in faster click-to-ship order processing times, constant communication with the customer and speedier delivery. Additionally, the omni-channel supply chain has transformed last mile strategies and added new levels of complexity when serving customers.

SC
MR

Latest Podcast
Talking Supply Chain: Assessing the freight market
Is the freight market in a slump, or about to come out of one? AFS Logistics’ Andy Dyer breaks it down in this episode of the Talking Supply…
Listen in

Subscribe

Supply Chain Management Review delivers the best industry content.
Subscribe today and get full access to all of Supply Chain Management Review’s exclusive content, email newsletters, premium resources and in-depth, comprehensive feature articles written by the industry's top experts on the subjects that matter most to supply chain professionals.
×

Search

Search

Sourcing & Procurement

Inventory Management Risk Management Global Trade Ports & Shipping

Business Management

Supply Chain TMS WMS 3PL Government & Regulation Sustainability Finance

Software & Technology

Artificial Intelligence Automation Cloud IoT Robotics Software

The Academy

Executive Education Associations Institutions Universities & Colleges

Resources

Podcasts Webcasts Companies Visionaries White Papers Special Reports Premiums Magazine Archive

Subscribe

SCMR Magazine Newsletters Magazine Archives Customer Service

Press Releases

Press Releases Submit Press Release