the minimal cuboidal shape is; in other words, what’s the
smallest box it could fit in?”
The latest dimensioning systems can capture far more
information than that, however. Today’s options include
devices equipped with advanced sensors that read bar codes
and package IDs, as well as high-end systems that docu-
ment each item with a photo and a time stamp.
NO ROOM FOR ERROR
Pairing precision measurements with powerful software is
quickly becoming an essential element in running a profitable omnichannel fulfillment operation.
Before the rise of e-commerce, warehouses typically
shipped items in full case- or pallet-load quantities to other
DCs or retail stores. But as online sales took off, they found
themselves filling more consumer orders for individual
items (or a handful of assorted items), and the job grew far
more challenging.
“Let’s say a customer orders a ballpoint pen, a ball cap, a
baseball, and some apparel items all in one box. What is the
best size box for shipping that?” CubiScan’s Headley said.
“In omnichannel, there is really a lot of value to minimizing
inefficiencies, and the savings will start to compound.”
An e-commerce website may charge a consumer $8 in
estimated shipping fees for that combination of items but
face a $16 charge from the parcel carrier if a DC worker
places the gear in an oversized mailing box.
“Then companies have a choice to make: Do they pass
that extra cost on to the customer or do they eat it? One
hundred percent of the time, they’re going to end up eating
it,” Headley said.
Retailers can avoid that conflict if they run the items
through a dimensioner first, export the cube data to a warehouse management system (WMS), and use the software’s
carton-optimization features to specify the exact size box
to use.
Some companies take this approach to the extreme and
build custom boxes for each order. These warehouses
link their WMS’s dimensional data with an on-demand
box-making machine. These systems calculate box geome-tries and cut flat sheets of corrugate cardboard to the exact
size needed. Workers then fold the sheet like a pizza box
into a carton that’s tailored to the specific order.
Given the proliferating business benefits, many companies have found they can achieve a quick return on investment by installing cubing and weighing systems in multiple
locations throughout the DC. Whether they use the data to
solve the challenges of dimensional weight shipping, warehouse slotting, or omnichannel fulfillment, users say these
precision machines are here to stay.
