You have the perfect, most delicious cake mix ever invented, and you have the innovative, creative packaging to match. You might think you are all set and ready to take your product to market, but this may not be the case. Just because your product and packaging are phenomenal, this does not mean you are ready to take on the competition. You also need to look at your warehousing and fulfillment services. Here are some reasons why.

The Struggles of Warehousing a Food Product

If you have not spent much time inside a warehouse, then you probably do not think about what might go wrong while your products are in storage waiting for fulfillment. The truth is that warehouses can be the root of many common problems.

• Lack of climate control – Food products must be stored within reasonable temperatures, altitudes, and humidity levels if they are to remain fresh. If a warehouse fails to provide this climate control, even for half a day, then your product could be affected.
• Product mishandling – Even if the warehouse provides the perfect environment, there are other things that can go wrong. For example, stacking your product too high can cause damage to the products at the bottom of the stack, or a careless forklift driver or stock person could drop your product on the ground, allowing it to burst open.
• No room for growth – Finally, even if a warehouse suits your needs now, growth is likely your goal. There will come a time when you need more space to store your products, and often times, it’s tough for companies to deliver.

Common Issues with Order Fulfillment

Now that the packaging for your cake mix is perfect and it is being stored in a climate-controlled warehouse with plenty of room for expansion, it is time to consider what happens when someone places an order for your product. Common issues can arise.

• Lack of inventory – Failure to properly record the amount of product coming in and going out can lead to a lack of inventory. In turn, you could find yourself with a tremendous backlog and working hard to fulfill demands.
• Impersonal secondary packaging – Just because your primary packaging is perfect, it says little about your secondary packaging. Will your product arrive in a plain cardboard box, or will your cake mix arrive packaged in boxes with your company logo? Failing to use the right secondary packaging is a missed attempt at further branding.
• No real-time updates – If you sell products online, then it’s vital for your system to reflect things such as low inventory and backorders. If your system cannot do this, then your customers may be upset to learn that you can’t fulfill an order they placed days ago.

Warehousing and fulfillment are as important to your company’s success as the product itself. Even if you have the best cake mix in the world, and even if it is packaged in the most innovative and clever box imaginable, failing to store it and ship it appropriately means the consumer may never see it. Choose a packaging company that offers all these services and more, then rest comfortably in the knowledge that everything is covered.