[Case Study] Fond Of

How Trillora increased container utilization by 36% for FOND OF

Have you ever packed the car for a family trip and struggled to get everything to fit just so? Brands shipping products from Asia have similar struggles, and with much higher stakes. Luckily, at Trillora Packaging Solutions, this kind of 3-D puzzle solving is our specialty.

The Challenge

Underused pallets prompt a deeper look at packaging

FOND OF, a German manufacturer of sustainable, ergonomic backpacks, called ergobags, had noticed that pallet utilization in its warehouses was too low – meaning they weren’t maximizing capacity. The result was a suboptimal workflow and higher freight costs.

The company approached the team at Trillora Packaging Solutions to redesign their packaging and make the puzzle pieces fit better.

FOND OF suspected that its packaging solution could be improved after noticing pallet utilization inefficiencies in their distribution centers, but needed to understand the root causes to work out a solution.

At the same time, it also needed to protect its products and retain an ongoing commitment to sustainability.

Uncovering additional challenges and caveats on the road to a solution

When FOND OF decided a packaging change was in order, this was the state of things on the ground:

Condition Expectations

Backpacks needed to arrive at retailer locations and customer homes in pristine condition to protect satisfaction and reduce lost product value.

Bags Per Carton

FOND OF also wanted to keep two backpacks in each master outer carton (MOC), to decrease the risk of creasing or denting the products.

Previous Packaging Fix

FOND OF had previously optimized its MOCs so they wouldn’t buckle inward on the length panel.

International Shipping

MOCs used in their Shenzhen, China factory were made of low-quality materials, unable to withstand the stresses of an international supply chain.

Unoptimised Packaging

Their existing packaging design has excess room in each box and was not optimized for space utilization.

Material Selection

The MOCs that protected the backpacks were made of a triple-wall construction, which offered extra protection but resulted in excess material.

Our Approach

Right-sizing cartons and optimizing material selection to increase pallet utilization and reduce costs

With these considerations in mind, the Trillora team performed a packaging review on FOND OF’s existing packaging to find opportunities to optimize.

The goal was to find a packaging solution that better fit the products and improved pallet utilization, while protecting the ergobag throughout the supply chain. Since the cartons needed to be sturdy enough to prevent bags from getting crushed in transit, Trillora’s design team analyzed the size and dimensions of the ergobag packaging, along with the amount of material used for both the outer packaging and the interior components that provide cushioning and product separation.

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Right-sizing for carton efficiency

The base of the ergobag backpack is a hard shell that cannot be folded, which made reducing the size of the primary packaging a challenge. However, the design team noticed there was unused space within the master outer cartons (MOCs). This presented an opportunity to optimize the MOCs to reduce material use and right-size the packaging to reduce freight costs through increased efficiency.

Additionally, to lower freight costs, Trillora reduced the size and adjusted the dimensions of the cartons. The resulting MOCs were smaller in width and height than the original packaging, which improved space utilization when loading containers and pallets.

packaging diagram

Changing wall thickness for greater protection

To help protect the products, Trillora incorporated high-quality, single-wall materials that provided better product protection than the original triple-wall MOCs. Sustainability is one of the core values of ergobag, so it was important to find MOCs that not only used less material overall, but also helped reduce the brand’s overall carbon footprint.

Speak to a packaging expert

With the expertise of Trillora Packaging Solutions, we have optimized our packaging units. Through reduced packaging sizes, lower carton thicknesses and optimized container loads we have not only been able to save material and reduce CO2 emissions, but also generate financial savings at the same time. Thanks to the transparent cooperation, we were able to further expand our in-house knowledge in terms of packaging technology.

– Hannes Weber, Head of Corporate Responsibility, FOND OF

The Results

Freight efficiency grows, CO2 emissions and water consumption shrink

After Trillora helped implement these changes, FOND OF saw a significant improvement in pallet use. The company also saw sustainability benefits – a cornerstone of its code of conduct and brand vision – and protected its high levels of quality and customer satisfaction.

Through just a modest reduction in carton size and some changes in packaging materials, FOND OF new packaging led to:

A 33% increase in pallet utilization: Original pallets could hold 12 cases, while the new pallets hold 16.
A 36% increase in container utilization: Cartons per container increased from 695 to 942.
Over the course of a year, it now takes 833 fewer pallets to store the same amount of product.
A 27% reduction in material weight and an 8% reduction in blank size of MOCs.
A 28% drop in carbon dioxide emissions and water consumption savings of 949 cubic meters per year.

CONTACT

Is it time to make a packaging change?

If you’re shipping from factories in Asia and struggling with packaging-related costs and inefficiencies, Trillora Packaging Solutions can help guide you on a journey to better performance.

We’ve worked with many global brands to control freight costs, increase efficiency, reduce damage, and boost the customer experience.

Get in touch