In this article, Julian Mühlenberg demonstrates how intelligent packaging optimization enabled a customer in the metrology industry to sustainably reduce their transport costs. Learn why cost-effectiveness depends not only on the packaging material itself, but on the entire logistics process.
By Julian Mühlenberg, packaging expert at NOVAPOR
On my way to a customer in the metrology industry, as so often happens, a thousand things went through my head. How many companies would again only talk about the material cost of the packaging, instead of considering the entire process, where there is often considerable potential for savings?.
During the drive, I reflected on how we sometimes impose limits on ourselves that don't really need to exist. Limits that arise from habit. "We've always done it this way." Two boxes instead of one. Two shipments instead of one. Some people perceive such ingrained patterns as security. I often see missed opportunities in them.
The initial situation
The customer produced high-quality measuring systems that were shipped worldwide. In addition to the instrument itself, the system included extensive accessories that required secure transport. Previously, the instrument was shipped in one transport case and the accessories in a second. At first glance, this seemed reasonable. The product protection was working. And yet, even during the initial analysis, I sensed that there was significantly more potential here.
The more trapped we are in old patterns, the thinner our perception sometimes becomes for new solutions.
Many believe that packaging optimization is primarily about buying foam more cheaply or saving on corrugated cardboard. But my experience at NOVAPOR has taught me something different: The greatest potential for savings usually lies not in the packaging itself, but in the entire logistics process.
Boundaries can provide security, but they can also blind us. Our way of thinking marks the boundary between what we believe is possible and what would actually be possible. As I said, it was a day like any other. Until I arrived at the client's and saw the two boxes.
The device in one bag, the accessories in the other. The person in charge explained to me that this had always been the way it was done. I knew that moment well – the moment when old habits suddenly become apparent and you realize they've long since become too expensive.
„We have a problem with volume in air freight,“ he said. That was precisely the crucial point for me. Every additional crate meant more cargo space, more handling, more costs.
The first look at the actual problem
I didn't look at the foam or the size of the boxes first. I was interested in the entire process. How is it packaged? What routes are used? Where are unnecessary costs incurred?
In air freight, volume often plays a more significant role than many companies realize. Both volume and weight are crucial in the air. Therefore, it quickly became clear to me: if we could safely pack the equipment and accessories into a single shipping container, the customer could save considerable transport costs every year.
Even small savings can lead to big results with recurring transport needs.
The challenge
Of course, the simplest solution would have been to simply build a larger transport crate. However, that wouldn't have solved the real problem. The new packaging had to meet several requirements simultaneously: securely hold the device and accessories, maintain at least the existing product protection, be easy to pack, be suitable for international transport, and at the same time remain under a crucial external length of 1.60 meters.
This limit was crucial because it had a direct impact on the profitability of air freight. It was therefore clear: the goal was not to create more space, but to use the existing space more intelligently.
How we developed the solution at NOVAPOR
Together with our design team at NOVAPOR, we first conducted a complete analysis of the existing packaging. We examined every single component. Which parts actually require maximum protection? Which components can be repositioned? Where are there unused spaces? How can the device and accessories be combined in a space-saving manner without the components interfering with each other? For me, these are precisely the questions that form the core of good packaging development. Because packaging doesn't happen by chance. It's the result of many small decisions.
Suddenly, one realized how much space and money had simply been wasted.
Our engineers ultimately developed a completely new internal layout. Custom-fit foam inserts ensured that the device and accessories were securely fixed, while simultaneously making optimal use of every available millimeter. The result was a transport case that met all requirements. And most importantly: despite the additional accessories, the external length remained below the critical limit of 1.60 meters.
The new design allowed us to replace two shipping crates with a single one, significantly reducing the transport volume. A packaging test according to ISTA standards was successfully passed. In addition, the customer benefited from reduced packaging effort, less handling during shipping, easier storage, smaller loading volume, and permanently lower air freight costs.
The result
This simple optimization of the packaging design alone saves the customer around €30,000 in transport costs per year. Remarkably, neither the product nor its protection had to be altered. Only the way the packaging was designed was changed.
Many expensive processes in companies are nothing more than outdated survival strategies that eventually become obsolete. Our brain's autopilot automatically relies on what has proven successful. Only when we consciously pause and consider the process as a whole do the hidden limitations become visible – and surmountable.
What other companies can learn from this
A few months later, the customer wrote to me about how much easier storage and handling had become. Projects like these confirm my conviction: Packaging should never be considered in isolation. Those who solely focus on saving packaging material often optimize in the wrong place.
This project perfectly illustrates why packaging development is far more than just designing a box for me. Sometimes it means better product protection. Sometimes easier handling. And sometimes – as in this case – a saving of around €30,000 per year because the packaging was consistently designed with the transport process in mind.
Julian Muhlenberg is a packaging expert at NOVAPOR and has many years of experience in developing innovative packaging solutions. He is a trained industrial mechanic and holds a university degree in Industrial Engineering and Management as well as a degree in Business Psychology. Learn more about him here.