As one of the largest privately owned commercial printing companies in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, ColorDynamics takes pride in creating visual experiences for their customers. However, their packaging experience began to suffer when they found themselves knee-deep in unused stock boxes. “We had approximately 2,500 to 3,000 square feet [of warehouse space] tied up in remnants of leftover boxes that we attempted to use…,” said David Dey, Executive VP of ColorDynamics.
The issue of wasted box inventory is not uncommon among distribution centers. Businesses are often forced to purchase a set quantity of units when ordering stock boxes. This may not be a big deal for distributors that have consistent order sizes going out the door at predictable and forecastable volumes. However, in the print industry, depending on the size, shape, and quantity of the project order, new boxes in various shapes and sizes may need to be purchased in varying quantities over and over again. And that can often result in a lot of extra stock boxes (and substantial sunk cost) that never get used, taking up valuable warehouse space in hopes they’ll eventually work for a future project. “Unfortunately, when you generate that much cost, you don't want to just recycle or throw them away,” said Dey.
ColorDynamics knew they couldn’t continue on at their current rate – something would have to give – but they didn’t know what other options existed to manage their box inventory. Then, they discovered Packsize.
“I knew that Packsize would be a terrific fit for ColorDynamics because of our ability to help them make an unlimited amount of carton sizes perfect for the printing industry,” said George Gentry, Director of Customer Satisfaction at Packsize. “Along with that, I knew we'd be able to help them regain valuable warehouse space but still be flexible and react to any last-minute customer packaging changes while helping them meet critical customer deadlines.”
After talking through their pain points and goals with a Packsize representative, ColorDynamics decided to install an EM7-35 right-sized packaging machine in their distribution center. Now when an order comes in, the EM7 creates the exact quantity of boxes needed in the exact right size each and every time, eliminating the need for stock boxes all together.
“The original ask that ColorDynamics had for Packsize was for help in regaining valuable warehouse space of over 300 pallet locations they had occupied with varying size stock boxes,” said Gentry. “After entering into a partnership with Packsize, ColorDynamics was able to take over 300 pallet locations down to around 40 of raw fanfold that they could use within their Packsize solution today.”
Prior to Packsize, ColorDynamics would have to order an assortment of stock boxes to keep on deck. When a project order would come in, they would work to complete and fulfill the order, then go about sorting through stock boxes to see which ones (if any) would work best to ship the order. This not only resulted in a much slower packing and shipping process, but also led to more damages in transit, due to oversized and misshaped packaging. With Packsize, ColorDynamics is able to customize boxes for every single order in seconds, allowing for maximum flexibility and better product protection during transit.
“The Packsize machine tremendously reduces the amount of damage in shipping,” said Dey. “In today's world where more packages are shipped than ever, damage is a big problem. So, having a box that is right-sized for the product greatly helps the shipping process and getting the product successfully to the client.”
The original goal for ColorDynamics was to reclaim warehouse space dedicated to stock box inventory. However, they were amazed to discover that the benefits of Right-Sized Packaging On Demand extended well beyond that. “Packsize has helped our packaging process in a tremendous number of ways,” said Dey. “In the last quarter alone, we have created 2,700 unique box SKUs… The unique sizes and features that we can create with Packsize eliminates extra stuffing, it eliminates shipping air and [reduces] costs for shipping. It eliminates extra labor for the packaging of standard boxes. It also eliminates the leftover boxes that you have when you purchase stock boxes.”
The EM7 has also allowed ColorDynamics to provide a better customer experience throughout the entire fulfillment process. “Right sized packaging has benefited our customer by creating a more secure shipping environment for the packed products that are being shipped, and it has actually cut down on the shipping costs for them as well,” said Tracey Johnson, Fulfillment, Shipping, and Receiving Manager at ColorDynamics.
Beyond that, customers also have more flexibility with their orders and how they want them to be packaged and shipped, right up to the very end. “Because we can custom make our own cartons, we can wait till the very end of a project once we have the product designed, created, and on the floor to physically measure it before we make a box,” said Dey. “This gives our clients a tremendous amount of additional flexibility that they can wait later in projects to make a decision how they want to kit something or ship something and they're not forced into a box that was purchased 30 days ago, 60 days ago, or even 90 days ago.”
All of this also results in a much better unboxing experience for the customer, by reducing damages and eliminating oversized boxes stuffed with wasteful void fillers. Customers can trust that their final products will arrive safely, timely, and with minimal waste.
For ColorDynamics, one of the most pleasant surprises was actually not the physical benefits of right-sizing, but rather the new partnership they found with Packsize. “Packsize is more than a supplier, they're a business partner,” said Johnson. “They've helped us come up with new and innovative solutions to problems. They've helped us with our workflow, they've connected us with other suppliers when they couldn't be the answer to our problem.”
Gentry said the key to this partnership lies not just in the evaluation and optimization of the initial solution, but the ongoing communication and collaboration between ColorDynamics and Packsize. “Packsize is able to ensure ColorDynamics success by constantly re-evaluating our partnership quarter after quarter, year after year,” he said. “Just as their business evolves with every new customer they bring on, so too can our solution evolve with them both currently and well into the future.”
As leaders in On Demand Packaging, Packsize offers ongoing expert support and service to every single customer they partner with. This includes access to a 24/7 technical support team to help resolve issues if and when they do arise. “One of the things I love most from Packsize is the service that they provide to the machine,” said Dey. “Realistically, every device will break at some point, and the most important thing for our business is not to be down. I love how Packsize supports us and gets us back working very quickly anytime there is an issue with the device.”
“I can't imagine doing fulfillment without Packsize,” said Johnson. “They have been the backbone of our success.”
To learn more about how Packsize can partner with your business, reach out to one of our representatives today to request an evaluation!
