The logistics market is subject to constant change, which requires service providers to keep improving their processes to survive in this competitive environment. The packaging process, where innovation and productivity are key, is no exception.

Loewe Logistics & Care is constantly in touch with potential partners to follow the development of new technologies. That’s how the company made contact with Packsize, a provider of customer product packaging solutions. 

The connection resulted in the Packsize packaging system being recommended for Loewe’s client, Lufthansa, for which Loewe dispatches WorldShop articles (Miles & More). Following an initial visit at the end of 2015, Vanessa Peter, logistics project manager for Loewe in Herford, Germany, took on the task of finding a suitable concept and carrying out a feasibility study.

At Packsize, the project was managed by area manager Philipp Venjakob and technical project manager Edwin Jonkman. Prior to the involvement of Packsize, the general challenge was to provide the best possible selection of standard corrugated packaging for staff at their workstations, allowing for changes in product range every six months.

For Lufthansa Miles & More, the key project goals included:

• Volume reduction for shipping packages,
• Reduction of standard boxes to zero,
• Optimization of the entire pick-and-pack process, and
• Reduction in the use of corrugated cardboard for environmental purposes.

The desired solution was to produce perfect-fit boxes on site, just in time and according to order.

The starting point was a one-year test, analysis and planning phase. The concept and implementation plan were presented to Lufthansa Miles & More in February, 2017. The project was then approved, and implementation of the system and processes in Herford began the middle of July, 2017.

Venjakob found the collaborative approach to working on the project exceptionally constructive and well-structured. “We got to know and appreciate the Loewe team, which allowed us to clarify a lot of implementation details, upfront, in the project phase,” he says.

The packaging configuration includes an EM7-25 and cross-conveyor, which transports the tailor-made z-Fold corrugated blanks to the packaging workstation as required. The weight and size of packaged products are the determining factors for the process sequence. All data for processing the orders comes directly from the Loewe warehouse management system. 

The Loewe team is delighted with the easier work enabled by the optimized process. Should an occasional hitch occur, the Packsize Hotline provides quick and reliable assistance. “This always works perfectly,” says Peter.

According to the project manager, essential gains achieved with the On Demand Packaging system include:

• Contribution to sustainability,
• Savings in volume,
• Less corrugated material,
• No fill material required, and
• Optimized process flow.

Peter found the partnership with Packsize to be highly constructive from beginning to end. “The whole process was very cooperative, deadlines were met, contacts were always available to help, and the hotline provided the answers we needed,” she says. 

During the 2018 holiday season, the volume of units packed and dispatched using the Packsize system peaked at nearly 1,000 per day. Daily volumes vary according to the order structure and number of incoming orders.

Loewe has now reduced the number of standard boxes from 25 to zero. With the Packsize On Demand Packaging system, it has been possible to eliminate the costly supply process required for these standard boxes. Now, all components needed to process the order are delivered straight to the staff at their workstations, just in time and made to measure.