/ By Karan Mudliar / Blog • Uncategorized/ • • • / 0 Comments

The implications of paperboard packaging replacing plastics

With an increased emphasis on being environmentally-friendly, many governments have reviewed their approach and have moved further in this direction. In the US, cities like Washington D.C (tax on plastic bags), San Francisco (complete ban on plastic bags), and Boston (tax and ban on single-use bags), have implemented their own laws. Around the world, Kenya, Chile, UK, Australia, and China have also enforced their own rules. Additionally, India enforced a ban on single-use plastics in July, 2018.

Most plastic bans include: PE bags, disposable plastic cutlery, disposable thermocol items, plastic wrap used for packaging and storage, non-woven polypropylene bags, plastic pouches for storing liquid, plastic packaging for food items, and plastic and thermocol decorations.

It has been determined that these plastics are the most harmful for the environment as they clog water bodies due to improper disposal, lead to ground water pollution, and disturb soil microbes.

With more and more countries adopting alternatives to plastic, the use of paperboard packaging has been gaining further acceptance. This has also been driven by a retail boom and the introduction and increased use of e-commerce. It is also important to note that paperboard packaging is consumer-friendly, provides excellent product protection, is lightweight, easy to transport and stack, and significantly easy to dispose of. However, the underlying and important aspect is that paperboard packaging is bio-degradable.

Given this it is no wonder that the paper packaging market is growing at a rate of 7.5%. In fact, industry estimates suggest that Amazon and Flipkart — top two players in the $17-billion ecommerce sector — consume between 1,200-1,400 tonnes of paper that goes into making boxes and printing bills.

For other large organizations such as Swedish furniture company IKEA, the switch-over to paperboard has been undertaken very quickly. And, as it is clear, the effects of paperboard packaging replacing plastics can greatly reduce climate impact, businesses are climbing on the sustainable bandwagon to underline their positive appeal for the environment.

 

 

Across the ocean, in the US, tech giant Apple has already outlined its longer-term vision in this matter. Through its October 2017 Paper and Packaging Strategy, it details how it “succeeded in reducing the plastic content of the iPhone 7 packaging by 84 per cent compared with that of the iPhone 6s.” Going forward, it is evident that this strategy is being used extensively with regard to its Apple’s smart speaker, Homepod. Here, “an incredibly complex paperboard construction with closures holds the speaker cord in place and there is also a setup to secure the plug.” And as has been mentioned, “there would be have been no doubt that plastic would have been the material of choice for this even up to 10 years ago.”

However, despite all of this, when it comes to replacing plastics there are still challenges that need to be overcome. Some of these include: the high cost of production caused by inadequate availability, the high cost of raw materials, a limited availability of good fibre, as well as technological obsolescence.

Further, major industries such as fresh and frozen foods, dairy, pharmaceuticals, beverages, snacks, and confectionery, have been severely impacted given their current extensive use of plastic packaging.

It is also evident that both the organized and unorganized sector are engaged in the packaging industry. Within the organized sector, SMEs that have been producing plastic packaging cannot quickly switch to paperboard and require time to do so. Thus, the plastic ban has adversely impacted sales and jobs in this sector. Many enterprises have also had to take up loans even though don’t have easy access to financing and funds. So despite the paper and paperboard markets growing rapidly there are still obstacles issues surrounding expansion of capacity.

Regarding the paper industry, it too has its challenges given the overall fragmentation of the market, which is served by around 500 various-sized mills. Further, the capacity for paper production has slowed down primarily due to a shortage of its key raw material – pulp wood. This is coupled with the rising prices of local waste paper. However, though this has been partially mitigated by renewed agroforestry initiatives, the industry has regularly requested for a policy to be implemented that allows access to degraded forest land for paper mills to raise pulp wood plantations for sustainable development. This, unfortunately, has yet to be undertaken.

In 2017, paper companies did not undertake price hikes due to factors such as competition from imports, stabilization in wood prices lower power, and fuel costs but by FY18, domestic paper prices had risen marginally.

In terms of supply there is a shortage of paperboard packaging and a study suggests that the paperboard segment will face a shortfall of 12.5 lac MT.

However, this supply deficit will mostly help players who are self-sufficient with raw materials and have cost optimization plans. It will also benefit major players in the industry who are using cash whilst adversely affecting the unorganized and SME sectors.

The shortfall in supply will also cause delays and disruptions in distribution and the delivery of goods produced as there is a lag for sufficient quantities of paperboard packaging material to enter the market. However, on the plus side, this may result in opportunistic price rises within paperboard packaging materials, that in turn, will raise the costs of goods overall.

It is clear that as technologies develop and more companies understand the reasons behind omitting plastics and looking towards alternatives, paperboard usage will increase. Though nations have adopted other materials at different rates and speeds, there has been a concerted effort on the part of governments, businesses, and environmental groups to push for steps to move away from plastic usage. It still remains to be seen whether current global conditions have already been too adversely effected to reverse the process but the increased move towards paperboard can only be seen as a positive sign.

3PL, sungistix, warehouse, copacking,packaging
/ By Karan Mudliar / Blog • Uncategorized/ • • • / 7 Comments

What are various 3PL (Third Party Logistics) Services

Many companies are still not comfortable with the idea of outsourcing their logistics operations as they are still unsure of what exactly does a Third-Party Logistics (3PL) mean and what value do they provide. In all fairness, the 3PL companies don’t make it any easier either. There are so many 3PL providers with so much breadth and variety of service, that a new client is often confused on how to categorize and compare these various players. Let us try and understand what is a 3PL player and what kinds of 3PL players are there in the market.

 

Who is a Third-Party Logistics Provider? There is no one definition of third party logistics or 3PL as it is more colloquially called, that is applicable all around. Let’s take a quick look to understand the evolution of 3PL, so that one can understand from the context. Earlier, in around 70’s there were only trucking companies. The shipper provided and loaded the final packaged material to the transporter, who then transported to the destination. Then came the IMCs. These Intermodal Marketing Companies, plugged between the shipper and the carrier. They accepted the package from the shipper and managed all the retail transportation engagement. Going forward these companies started offering other value added services such as warehouse storage, Packaging, financial needs and other services. The key to understand there is that these companies only provide services to the shipper and value for shipping company in terms of handling their logistics requirement, at any point, in their supply chain. Today the council of supply chain management professionals defines 3PL as outsourcing all or much of a company’s logistics operations to a specialized company. A Federal legislation passed in 2008 legally defines a 3PL as “a person who solely receives, holds, or otherwise transports a consumer product in the ordinary course of business but who does not take title to the product.” Thus, we can assume that any company that provides a logistics service in any supply chain, can be called a 3PL company. A transporter, a warehouse space provider, a special storage provider, a packaging service provider, a booking, tracking, auditing based or financial based service provider, or information service provider for these services, or provider of any combination of these services can be termed as a third-party logistics service provider or 3PL provider.

 

Now that we understand what is a 3PL provider is, let’s look at various kinds of 3PL providers.

 

Transportation based: Here the primary service offered is transportation. Trucking in various segments, from wholesale to retail to individual deliveries. They own the physical transportation machines, specialized transportation vehicles (cold storage trucks) and networks and system specialized for fleet utilization and route optimization. Their aim is to optimize the transportation cost (as opposed to other kinds of costs in logistics). They usually club various shipments based on transportation cost optimization. While these companies may offer other services such as warehouse, they are typically in association with a partner who provides those services.

 

Warehouse Based: These companies own the storage space at the distribution points. They specialize in warehouse operations. They make significant investments in warehouse space, warehouse technologies (cranes, lifts), automation to quickly move the products inside warehouse, specialized warehouse needs such as cold storage and hazardous chemicals etc. They have their operations specialized for optimum use of space and their systems optimized for movement of inventory such as FIFO, maintaining minimum and maximum levels of inventory, close monitoring of expiry sensitive inventory such as food products. Apart from inside warehouse operation, they also specialize in locations of warehouse, at critical nodal points such as important ports, or close to big markets. Large players usually operate multiple warehouses spread geographically at important points, having these warehouses interconnected with dedicated transportation. The warehouse based providers usually tie-up with Transporters to provide the last mile delivery to the customer. They will usually have tie ups with various transporters to cater to different needs of the customers.

 

Freight Forwarder: These companies do not own any physical asset. They tie up with various other logistics service providers, manage the relationships and operation between them, for their clients and give their clients an end to end logistics service. To elaborate a little more Freight forwarders, specialize in arranging the storage and shipping of merchandize on behalf of the shippers. They usually provide a full range of service such as inward transportation tracking, documentation preparation, warehousing, cargo space booking, freight charges negotiations, insurance and claiming insurance claims. Freight forwarders are especially useful if you are planning to operate in international markets. i.e. Your business involves import and export of material or finished products.

 

Financial based Logistics services provider: These companies specialize in the financial aspects of the logistics. They provide freight payment and audit service along with accounting, control and tool for monitoring and management of inventory. They also provide small financial solutions for logistics (getting the LOC for freight loading or unloading)

 

While many companies provide these individual services, quite a few also provide various combinations or all of these services. It is up to the client to decide, which one is best suitable for his business requirements. Clients also need to keep in mind the that players not only differ in the kind of service, but level of partnership the 3PL firms provide. This depends on the nature of engagement that exists between the business and it’s 3PL provider.

  • These relationships are on per transaction basis. This is kind of Postal service. You pay for each transaction and that’s it.
  • These relationships are based on long term contracts. The rates are negotiated for bulk volumes and systems are integrated for easy flow of information between the two entities.
  • These are more like partnerships. The 3PL will make investments in their business and you will be committed to them. Both, the client and the 3PL grow together.

Businesses outsourcing for the first time, may and usually do start from the transactional model. As they gain experience and the volumes of shipments grows, they move to more mature models of engagement, forging partnerships with their suppliers.

 

Outsourcing to a 3PL player may seem confusing at the beginning. There are a lot of players with different value propositions and you will need to invest time to choose the one that is right for you. However, once you have the right partner, you do not have to worry about logistics and focus all your energies into your core business practices that result in growth of your business.

3pl, Warehouse, Fulfillment, ecommerce
/ By Karan Mudliar / Blog • Uncategorized/ • • • / 15 Comments

Do’s and Don’ts before signing up with a 3PL warehouse

Well, your business seems to be growing and you suddenly realize the need to improve your logistics and set up new warehouses to suit the growing demand of your business. But wait, do you really want to set it up all by yourself??? Most Probably, NO! Unless you want to get into hefty investments and hassles of getting a warehouse operational. And trust us, it is a herculean task! So, let’s look at an easy and economically viable solution- Yes, partnering with a 3rd Party Logistics Company and using their warehouse.

A Third Party Logistics provider (3PL) is a company that assists your organization at various points in the supply chain by proving their expert solutions and implementing best practices suited to your need. A good 3PL partner can be your one stop solution to all fulfilment needs. Warehousing is one of the key offerings of a 3PL solution provider and thus must be chosen wisely as it can have huge impact on your revenues and overall business. However, it is not an easy job to find the right Warehousing Partner. Here’s a quick list of Do’s and Don’ts to help you sign up with a 3PL Warehouse. Remember, making un-informed decisions and choosing the wrong logistics partner can be more damaging than beneficial to your business.

Do’s

  • Do Check the Location of the Warehouse –

The location should suit your overall distribution plan and preferably closer to your high consumption area. The closer you are to your high customer density areas, the faster you can reach out to them and create a brand value with splendid customer experience.

  • Do Check the capacity of the warehouse –

The capacity of the selected warehouse should suit your current need as well as quickly scalable up as your business grows. The warehouse supplier should also be flexible enough to manage fluctuations in your demands.

  • Do Keep your needs clear –

Unless you are clear on what you would need from your warehouse partner you may never be able to make the right choice. Being crystal clear on your current and futuristic requirements is an important step in finalizing the 3PL warehouse.

  • Do Check the hiring and training policies of the warehouse provider-

The warehouse manpower is a key aspect to be considered for the success of the warehouse services. Checking the hiring and training policy of the 3PL provider can ensure that your goods will be handled well in the warehouse by skilled manpower.

  • Do Check their financial stability –

The last thing you want to suffer from, is your warehouse partner limping on financials and unable to support your business. Checking the service provider’s financial stability in the market and their track record with other customers can assist in making the right choice of 3PL partner.

  • Do Ensure that they prefer technology over manual dependency-

Evaluate the service provider based on their usage of Technology at their warehouse. Do they have a good warehouse management system in place? Is the material handling automated? Does the system give you correct reports of the inventory? Can they offer live Inventory Check? The more they use latest technology and equipment at the warehouse, the more beneficial they will be as your partners.

  • Do Check the Safety Policies and Procedures of the 3PL warehouse supplier-

Safety at the warehouse should be a prime focus are of the service provider. It should be applicable for their employees, managers, floor staff and even the consignments. Visit the warehouse and check for Fire Safety provisions, warning signs and labels and adherence of staff to other safety norms. Evaluating the safety equipment and norms being followed at the Warehouse, right at the start, can go a long way in preventing losses later.

 

Don’ts :

 

  • Don’t go for a provider whose warehouse does not have good connectivity to highways, rails and ports-

Since your shipment time is hugely dependant on proximity to roads, rails and ports, having a partner whose warehouse isn’t close to these may delay your speed to market and have a negative impact on your business. Thus not a very great idea.

  • Don’t Over Analyse –

Restrict your search for a 3PL warehouse to maybe a maximum of 3. If you keep considering more and more options, you may miss on the intricate details that you need to check and focus on before signing a 3PL warehouse partner. Keep your list short and delve deep into evaluating them to identify the partner most suited to your need.

  • Don’t fall into the price Trap –

Certain companies go ahead choosing a 3PL warehouse based solely on the pricing. However, this approach may be quite damaging. While you need your warehouse service supplier to be competitive in pricing and not over-charge you, but what is also essential to check is the quality they will deliver. If the warehouse management does not have the necessary quality processes in place, it is ultimately your business that will suffer.

  • Don’t Rush into signing up-

Take your time. Do a proper due diligence of selected suppliers in accordance to your needs. Check for important things like safety, scalability, flexibility and pricing of the supplier and sign up only when you are fully satisfied. Try to build faith and trust between both the parties at the start. This will go a long way in having a successful and mutually beneficial partnership.