The Functions of Packaging in the Supply Chain

by Leigha Rolin

When designing a package, one must consider its functionality throughout the life cycle.

The output of designing and manufacturing a material that will keep a product secure and identifiable throughout transport is packaging. 

There can be hundreds of points of interaction with your product's packaging before it gets from the point of manufacture to the final consumer. Furthermore, the path from manufacturer to final consumption may extend around the globe and take several months, or it may be a few meters and span no more than a minute.

Your packaging needs to be designed to fulfill all these functions in that process, no matter how long it is. Using packaging supplies that fit all these functions is crucial for saving money on packaging and getting products where they need to be promptly.

There are several roles that packaging needs to fulfill to successfully do its job. The outlined functions are presented in no order.

Protection

Packaging's first and foremost function is protection.

The most important function of packaging is to keep the product safe and secure from the outside environment. Packaging must fully enclose the product to ensure no outside element can reach it.

In doing so, your product is protected from damage in the form of being dropped, but also the weather, like rain, sun, dirt, and dust. This is where products like poly mailer bags are used alongside traditional cardboard packaging.

Protective packaging also must stand up to both static and dynamic forces during the shipping and delivery process. It must keep the product safe while other items are being stacked on it to save space - both in shipping and in storage.

The structural integrity of the packaging means that the product inside is undamaged and ready to use as was intended when it reaches the consumer.

Providing this assurance is a decision that's made when picking the right type of packaging for your product.

Packaging is often paired with the product within the manufacturing process, especially in the form of liquids and foods.

 Transport/Storage

Packaging has a massive effect on the efficiency and speed of transportation.

Being able to physically handle a product and get it from point A to point B is the most often associated function of packaging.

In this role, packaging needs to be easy and efficient to lift, hold, move, and store.

Secondary layers of packaging may be needed to make it easier to handle smaller units of grouped products - for example, a large shipping box that contains multiple six-packs of beer.

Transport packaging needs to be designed in a way that it can be easily handled and moved by both man and machine, on a larger and a smaller scale.

For transport reasons, your packaging supplies may need to be of a certain size to meet guidelines set by package delivery giants, such as package dimensions and weight.

It is crucial to keep the packaging contents safe during storage. This storage time may be a matter of years or minutes - possibly even seconds. During storage, the packaging needs to ensure that the product is safe from dust, debris, and other environmental hazards for the amount of time that it will be stored.

 Sales/Promotional

Sales as a function of packaging enable the product to be promoted. It's at this point where visual identification of the product beings, as the buyer needs to recognize what the product is.

This is also where visual packaging design starts to play a role in the functions of packaging.

Sales and promotions work hand in hand as the first point of physical contact with your customer and your packaging bundle.

Promoting the product on its packaging is an integral function of packaging. It's at this point where the final customer will first see the product for sale, therefore the packaging needs to have a positive influence on the buyer's decision.

Especially in industries like cosmetics or wellbeing supplements, the overall packaging aesthetic might encourage you to buy one product over the other.

This function of packaging also involves placing various information and specific details about the product on the packaging.

This includes ingredients and nutritional information if talking about food, as well as dangerous and hazardous materials.

 Disposal

The final function of packaging is to inform the user how to dispose of it.

If the packaging is sustainable, this may mean disposing of it in compost or recycling it, rather than traditional waste. The disposal function may also mean telling the user that the packaging can be reused for another intended purpose or even where to return or refill the package after the product is used.

Summary: functions of packaging in all steps of the supply chain

Packaging is an all-encompassing element of every brand. The function of packaging often begins before the product itself is made and continues well after the product is consumed.