Packaging audit
Packaging: where the money leaks
Packaging costs leak in three places: the price per unit (specs heavier than the job needs, or prices that follow increases but not decreases), the number of units (too many sizes, film over-applied), and the costs packaging causes elsewhere (dimensional-weight freight, damage, void fill). A packaging audit reads invoices, specs and usage side by side.
Packaging is bought by the unit but costs money by the shipment. Purchasing sees the box price; nobody sees the freight the box adds.
Where does the money leak?
- 1
Spec heavier than the job
Board grade and flute are often chosen once and never revisited. A box tested for a heavier product, or a stacking load that no longer applies, costs more on every order.
Ask: What test or load is this spec built for, and is it still the load we ship?
- 2
Too many sizes, or the wrong ones
Box sizes multiply as products are added. Many sizes means small orders, higher unit prices and more storage. The wrong sizes mean void fill and dimensional-weight charges.
Ask: Which five sizes carry most of our shipments, and how much empty space is in them?
- 3
Price escalation that only goes up
Some packaging agreements tie price to a published containerboard or resin index. Check that the clause works in both directions and that increases match the index movement.
Ask: Which index governs our price, and when did it last move down?
- 4
Stretch film over-applied
Hand wrapping, or a machine set without testing, often uses more film than a load needs. Film spend scales with pallets shipped, so small savings per pallet add up.
Ask: How much film goes on a typical pallet, by weight?
- 5
Minimums and inventory
Minimum order quantities and custom print can leave cash in stock that goes obsolete when a product changes.
Ask: How many months of each size are in stock, and which sizes haven’t moved?
What does the audit check?
- Unit prices for each item across 12 months of invoices
- Specs (board grade, flute, film gauge) against the products and loads they protect
- Your top box sizes against what ships in them, and the dimensional weight they cause
- Price-change clauses against the index they name
- Stretch film use per pallet
- Minimums, stock on hand and slow-moving sizes
What data is needed?
| Send | Why |
|---|---|
| 12 months of packaging invoices | To see price changes and order patterns. |
| Spec sheets for your main items | Price only means something against a spec. |
| A list of box sizes with the products that ship in them | For right-sizing and dimensional weight. |
| Parcel invoices, if you ship small packages | Where the cost of an oversized box shows up. |
No system access is needed. PDFs or spreadsheet exports are fine. The site doesn’t take uploads; documents are arranged after the reply to your request.
Questions buyers ask
How do I know if my boxes are over-specified?
Start with the job: product weight, stacking height in storage and transit, and climate. If the spec was set for a heavier product or a taller stack, test a lighter grade with your own packed product before switching.
Does right-sizing boxes really change freight cost?
For parcel shipments billed by dimensional weight, yes. Billable weight is the greater of actual weight and the box’s volume divided by the carrier’s divisor, so a smaller box can lower billable weight on every parcel. The estimator shows the arithmetic for one box.