Is eCommerce logistics affecting your profit margin? Well, everything from a high RTO to a weight dispute can be the reason behind a dropping margin. A good courier partner, efficient packaging, and other such aspects can prove to be helpful in such scenarios. Since weight dispute is the most common reason for lowering profit, let’s understand better weight management practices.
What is a Weight Dispute?
A weight dispute is basically a conflict between a seller and the courier partner over the weight of a shipped package. A seller is supposed to provide a volumetric weight to the courier partner while preparing an order for shipping, based on which the shipping cost is calculated for the shipment. There are chances that the weight provided by the seller and the weight measured by the courier partner don’t match. Subsequently, this results in increased shipping charges the seller needs to bear.
Packaging Optimisation is the Solution
Good packaging is a smart way to ensure the safety of your package while avoiding weight disputes. Packaging optimization refers to more than just presenting a product in an attractive box. As a seller, you must understand that packaging design plays an important role in controlling distribution damage and RTO costs. Depending on different industries, you need to use streamlined packaging solutions to keep the product safe until it’s delivered.
Functions of Packaging
There are varied functions of packaging such as ease of distribution, storage, customer aesthetics, sustainability, etc. Following are the key functions of the packaging of a product.
- Protection: The main purpose of a package is to protect the product from its surroundings. It’s highly useful especially in case the product is potentially dangerous or fragile.
- Storage: The packaging material must be useful to store the product efficiently as transportation takes place in different locations.
- Transportation: The packaging of a product should make it easy to move, lift, and stack on pallets swiftly.
- Sales: The packaging of a product should efficiently promote sales.
- Promotions: Whether you use a carton, box, or container to pack a product, it must captivate the customer’s attention to encourage further purchasing.
Factors Considered While Optimising Packaging
The packaging optimization process considers the following factors:
- Cost reduction
- Physical parameters
- Packaging materials
- Environmental impact
- Packaging content
- Smart packaging solutions
- Damage and return-cost reduction
- Handling and transportation requirements
- Freight costs and pallet dimensions
Ways to Reduce Weight Dispute through Packaging Optimisation
Take a look at the best packaging optimization practices and proper weight management to avoid weight dispute issues.
1. Accurate Measurement of Volumetric Weight
Volumetric weight is a consignment’s dimensional weight. The length, breadth, and height of a package need to be measured in centimeters.
2. Keeping a Record of the Product
As a seller, you should have a proper image of the product before shipping it. An image of a product can be used as proof to establish the weight you mentioned to the courier partner. You may also take a few clicks or make a video while measuring your package for proof.
3. Map the Packaging with SKUs
Keeping a record of the packaging material with product SKUs is also another smart technique to bring down weight discrepancies. For example, if a product weighs 500 gms and is shipped in a specific box, you can keep the record of the SKU with the box and this specific packaging can be done for other orders. With this method, the volumetric weight for every SKU would be the same which will help you have a stress-free shipping experience.
4. Outsourcing Shipping to the Right Logistics Partner
You can outsource your order fulfilment requirements to a trusted logistics partner. Instead of going with a single courier partner, associating with a shipping aggregator would be the smarter choice. NimbusPost, a new-age, technically advanced shipping aggregator would be a sound choice if you are looking for comprehensive shipping advantages. As the automated platform brings 27+ courier partners in a single place, you get to increase your customer base across 29000+ pin codes. Plus, shipping aggregators have a weight dispute reconciliation team that looks after the weight disputes and resolves them for you.
5. Automating the irregular package measuring
Irregular shapes of the packaging material are one of the reasons that lead to weight disputes. Uneven shapes like poly bags, tubes, etc. need to be weighed in cubic measurement for which you will need a dimensioning system. Automating this process will help in dipping the package weight.
Conclusion
Weight disputes are probably the worst fear of any seller. But, you can avoid them by using smart tactics. Whether there’s been volumetric weight negligence, an error from the courier company, or something else, a reliable logistics partner can help you with transparent weight management.
