Why Do Measurements Matter in Packaging and Shipping?
Measurements are important in packaging and shipping goods. Before anything is packaged you must determine the length, the height, and the weight of the item to know which package can fit the product. It is through measuring that the packaging supplier can determine the right material to supply to hold your product without any issues.
Why is it Important to Measure?
Order Packaging Supplies Accurately
Let’s say you want to order a PVC box from a packaging and shipping supplier, for you to pick that call you must have the measurements of your products to make accurate orders. A mix up usually comes up when the units are mentioned, and that is why you need to know how the units relate to each other as shown below:
- 1m=1.093613 yard=3.280839 feet = 39.37 inch- these measurements are used to measure length, height, and width of the packaging supply.
- 1 square foot = 144 square inch- these measurements are used to measure the amount of space covered by the package on the ground, surface and the top.
- 1 mil = 25.4 micron- are used for measuring thickness of packaging material
- 1 gauge = 1/100 mil = 0.254-micron measure the thickness of the packaging material
- 1000g = 1kg = 2.204622BLS- these measurements are used to measure the weight of a packaging supply
For the above one, they are to measure the thickness of packaging material, since the thickness decide the strength of the material. For example, when shrink wrap, you need to decide whether using 60 gauge shrink film, or 75 gauge or 100 gauge, the larger the gauge, the thicker the film, the stronger the film. Gauge and mil is Britain system, micron is from metric system, how to convert and understand the meaning is important.
Another example, if choose zip lock bags, you need to choose 2 mil or 4 mil, that is about thickness. 4 mil is double the thickness and much stronger.
Create Storage Space
The supplier can determine if the space and length of the packing supply can fit the products you want to display or ship. For the ideal supply, they must know the surface area of your product to ensure the available space is enough. Another important aspect is the weight because there are products a packing supply can’t handle. Hence, measurements are crucial to choose the best packing supply.
Know What to Charge
A packaging supplier will charge you according to the material they are providing and how big the package is in the first place. Also, the shipping or courier company will charge you according to the weight of your item and the space it is going to occupy if you are shipping it.
Keep Records – Plan the Future
The packaging products supplier will keep records of the measurements and the products they have supplied you in the past. For instance, they can have a record of PVC boxes you ordered in a certain year. This way ordering your future supplies will be easy and quick.
By keeping records, the supplier can observe the trends in the business to have stock of the right shipping supplies to meet your needs. All these are possible only if measurements are taken accurately. It also makes sure that communication is flawless between you and the supplier. Without measurements, many things would go wrong — you could end up with supplies that do not suit your products and the suppliers wouldn’t know the quantity they need to supply.
