58 DC VELOCITY JUNE 2016 www.dcvelocity.com
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AS ANY E-TAILER WILL ATTEST, THE CHALLENGES
of e-commerce fulfillment don’t end with order picking.
There’s also the matter of packaging. In order to avoid
damage in transit, the contents of each carton must be
cushioned and the packaging cavities
filled—particularly if the order contains bottles and other breakable items.
Preparing a high volume of these cartons
takes considerable staff resources, so
anything that can be done to streamline
the process can shorten cycle times and
boost the company’s bottom line.
That was the challenge facing iHerb, a
Moreno Valley, Calif.-based online retailer of vitamins and
dietary supplements. The company was using a void-fill
system at its Hebron, Ky., distribution center that required
workers to crumple paper pads and insert them into cartons
manually. But it was becoming increasingly disenchanted
with that method. Not only was the process inefficient, but
customers were growing increasingly disgruntled, accord-
ing to Kurt Cheek, director of operations. “We received
some customer feedback that we had too much paper in the
carton. To some customers, it appeared that we had used
$10 worth of paper to protect their $8 order.”
After weighing its options, the company switched to
AIRplus Air pillows from Storopack at
the Hebron DC. Among other benefits,
converting to the air cushions promised
to greatly simplify the packing process.
Plus, it would put an end to consumer
complaints about the use of excess paper.
Today, the DC has five pack stations
set up with the air-filled pillow dispensers, plus a sixth dispenser located in the
facility’s quality control area. The air pillows are stored in
an overhead bin above the pack stations, so it’s easy for the
packer to reach up, pull down on the pillow sheets, and tear
off the number needed for the package.
Since moving to the new system, iHerb has seen an
increase in packing productivity of approximately 30 percent. “We saw a throughput gain, as it is so much easier now
for the operator,” says Cheek.
To bring its packing process up to speed, iHerb switches to air-filled pillows for dunnage.
Filling a void
An Associated Company 800.998.6517 • info@peachstate.com • www.peachstate.com
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