How to Convince Your Boss that Water-Activated Tape is the Right Solution for Your Company

As the person who oversees your company’s shipping operations, you know as well as anyone (and probably better than anyone) the tools you and your team need to be successful. However, you also understand how challenging it can be to change the status quo.

If your organization’s shipping processes are working “well enough” in the eyes of upper management, convincing them to invest in implementing a new approach—even if it’s far more effective than the current approach—can be difficult. 

Making the switch to water-activated tape (WAT) is an excellent example. Companies are finding a wide range of benefits when transitioning from plastic, pressure-sensitive tape (PST) to WAT (also called gummed tape or Kraft paper tape), but you’ll need a carefully defined strategy in order to convince management that this type of carton sealing tape is the way to go. 

As you think about how to make your case to your boss, keep the many advantages of WAT in mind.

Water-Activated Tape Increases Productivity

When you are talking with your boss about making the switch to WAT, productivity is a great place to start.

After all, if WAT can help your team get more shipping cartons sealed and ready for transport in the same amount of time, it can quickly offset the cost of buying water-activated tape dispensers and rolls of WAT—costs that are very reasonable to begin with. And, WAT can deliver on that promise!

Independent testing has shown that WAT increases productivity over plastic pressure-sensitive tape (PST). In fact, WAT is 21 percent more effective than PST for carton sealing. 

What’s the source of that efficiency gain? There are a number of factors. 

For one thing, water-activated tape dispensers prepare the tape and cut it to the appropriate length in one operation. All packers have to do is lay the tape on a seam, slide a hand over it, and let the adhesive go to work. 

Plus, using PST and a tape gun requires manipulating a shipping carton into different positions so that the packer can get the correct angle for application of the tape strip. WAT can be applied with the carton in any orientation. 

What’s more, frustrating and wasteful tape tangling, which is common with PST, does not occur with WAT.

LEARN MORE: 4 Ways to Reduce Packaging Costs & Increase Productivity

Water-Activated Tape Dispensers are Extremely Durable

One of the factors decision-makers consider when approving an expense is, “How long until we have to make this expenditure again?” 

In the case of water-activated tape dispensers, the answer is that it will be many years before you need to replace the dispenser. 

On average, electric tape dispensers last more than 15 years and manual machines last 30+ years with regular maintenance. We’ve even seen machines continue to operate beyond 40 years! 

And when issues arise, they can typically be addressed by the person using the device with parts obtained from our website.  

Manual and electric water-activated tape dispensers are available, and both styles are designed with durability in mind. Whichever type of dispenser you choose, your company can expect reliable, cost-effective operation.

Water-Activated Tape Provides Outstanding ROI

Another question that decision makers ask is, “What will be the return on this investment?” 

With WAT, the ROI is significant, as indicated by the features and benefits noted above. There is also the fact that the superior seal created by water-activated tape means that only one strip is needed. 

Studies show that on average, packers use 50 percent more PST to seal a shipping carton. Using less WAT can help you manage your materials expense.

Water-Activated Tape is Safer to Use

Continual use of PST and a tape gun poses safety risks for a couple reasons. 

First, repeatedly gripping the handle, dragging it over seams, and tipping it to cut the tape can, over time, lead to repetitive use injuries to hands and wrists. These injuries can be difficult to resolve, often requiring time off or even surgery. 

Second, tape guns have sharp edges for cutting the tape, which creates the potential for injury. This is especially true since users frequently find themselves in awkward positions as they attempt to apply the tape. 

Plus, using a tape gun can lead to repetitive fatigue. 

WAT doesn’t require the use of a handheld tool and the tape is cut by blades that are protected inside the water-activated tape dispenser.

Other Benefits of Water-Activated Tape

Other benefits of water-activated tape to share with your boss include:

• ✔ WAT can be printed with your branding to turn shipping cartons into mobile “advertisements” that increase brand awareness.
• ✔ WAT’s powerful seal can deter “press and grab” thefts, which keeps your replacement costs down.
• ✔ If you get your WAT and water-activated tape dispensers from Better Packages, you benefit from the expertise and backing of a trusted company that has been in business for over 100 years!

Learn More About WAT

Before you talk with your supervisor about switching to WAT, be sure you have all the facts. You can even get a free sample roll of water-activated tape! 

And if you have questions about our products, we’re always happy to answer them. Contact us at your convenience.

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[This post republished from the Better Packages Blog]

6 Ways to Improve Your Shipping Strategy

There are steps you can take to evaluate and enhance your shipping practices

The explosive growth of e-commerce in recent years is a double-edged sword. While it has created tremendous opportunity for retailers, that opportunity has likely enticed many competitors into the market. Consequently, shipping merchandise effectively and efficiently is more important than ever.

With customers increasingly vocal about their purchase experience, if at any point complaints start to rise or your shipping ROI starts to fall, it’s time to reassess your shipping strategy.

“When complaints rise or shipping ROI falls, it’s time to reassess your shipping strategy.” TWEET THIS

6 Ways to Improve Your Shipping Strategy

As everyone responsible for e-commerce business knows, shipping costs play a major role in determining a company’s profitability. If you aren’t getting merchandise to customers on time and undamaged, your financial results will suffer. Every hour spent on inefficient processes or responding to customer complaints about lost or damaged shipments cuts into your bottom line.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to evaluate and enhance your shipping practices. To ensure your shipping processes are optimized and your shipping team is contributing to the company’s overall success, do the following:

1. Determine your goals and whether you are meeting them. How long should it take to properly pack merchandise? How many times should a box be touched as it moves through your shipping area? How many units should go out the door each day? It’s important to have well-defined goals and to continually assess your efforts in relation to them. Also, if your goals aren’t currently documented, take the time to write them down, discuss them with your team, and post them prominently in your shipping area.
2. Review your shipping processes. Your standards for how merchandise is wrapped, padded, and secured within a carton have a significant impact both on how long it takes to prepare a package for shipping and the in-transit damage rate. Be sure you are doing all you can to minimize packing time while maximizing the protection of your merchandise.
3. Assess your packaging materials. Are you using strong, lightweight corrugated cardboard cartons? Are you sealing your cartons with water-activated tape (WAT)? Your shipping team needs the right materials to do their job properly.
4. Evaluate your shipping company. You should be looking at things like whether your contract should be renegotiated, whether the company’s errors are the cause of an unacceptably high number of customer complaints, and whether using one shipper or multiple shippers is to your advantage.
5. Review your free shipping policy. Many e-commerce companies today offer free shipping, but it’s costly. If yours does, are you sure it’s a good strategy? Take another look at your books, your competition, and your customers to determine the right tactic going forward. It may be that a free shipping policy is crucial but that you can offset the expense in other ways. 
6. Inspect your packing station. Taking the approach that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” may mean you are missing out on opportunities to improve the way you prepare cartons for shipping, and that can mean you are losing money on every package shipped!

Do Your Shipping Practices Position Your Company to Capitalize on Growth?

Forbes quotes Euromonitor International in saying that e-commerce is on pace to be the world’s largest retail channel by 2021, accounting for 14 percent of retail sales by that time. If your company offers quality merchandise backed by effective shipping practices and support, you are well-positioned to capitalize on this growth. But the time to evaluate and optimize your processes is now so that you stay ahead of the curve. Companies that choose not to act on their product fulfillment issues until “crunch time” will likely pay a hefty price, both financially and in terms of customer loyalty.

If you have questions about how our water-activated tape and water-activated tape dispensers can play a role in your successful shipping operations, please contact us at your convenience.

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[This post republished from the Better Packages Blog]

Use Genuine Better Packages Parts for Best Results

Genuine Better Packages water-activated tape dispenser parts

If you use a Better Packages’ water-activated tape dispenser to seal your water-activated tape (WAT), you understand how well-constructed and durable it is. You also perceive the many advantages of the super-strong shipping carton seal that you get from using water-activated tape (WAT) — from better protection of package contents to increased security. But, did you know that to keep your dispenser humming, you need to use genuine Better Packages parts?

4 Important Reasons to Use Better Packages Replacement Parts

Equipment parts wear out over time and must be replaced, and this is also true of Better Pack water-activated tape dispensers. In fact, because these machines have such a long life-span, you will surely need to obtain new parts at some point in their long operational life.

There are many reasons to choose genuine Better Packages parts. Below are four of the biggest.

1. Better Packages parts are made specifically for Better Pack machines. Imitation parts simply won’t work as well in your water-activated tape dispenser and will not last as long. If you use knock-off parts, you may suffer both lower productivity and higher long-term total cost of ownership.
2. To maintain your Better Packages’ warranty, you must use genuine Better Packages parts. That warranty provides valuable protection that you do not want to void simply because you failed to obtain the proper replacement parts.
3. You must use genuine Better Packages parts to maintain the safety certifications of your device and ensure the safety of your dispenser.
4. Official Better Pack parts are built to the extremely high Better Packages’ standard. With knock-off parts, you never know what you will get.

4 Easy Ways to Buy Better Pack Parts

1. Shop online at our website.
2. Contact your local Authorized Distributor.
3. Call our Customer Service department at 203-926-3700 or 800-237-9151.
4. Email us and we’ll connect you to an Authorized Distributor.

Genuine Better Packages Parts + Routine Maintenance = Serious ROI

Your Better Pack water-activated tape dispenser is designed for easy care and exceptional reliability. It doesn’t require frequent or extensive maintenance. However, performing periodic cleanings, making minor adjustments, and swapping out worn items with genuine replacement parts will allow your dispenser to continue operating faithfully not just for years, but for decades. There probably are not many devices you use as part of your business operations that can make that claim!

“Performing periodic cleanings, making minor adjustments, and swapping out worn items with genuine replacement parts will allow your dispenser to continue operating faithfully not just for years, but for decades.” TWEET THIS

Wondering how to perform key routine maintenance operations? We’ve got you covered! Our website has a large library of helpful maintenance videos that provide step-by-step instructions. This extensive collection of educational materials is updated regularly to ensure you have all the information you need to maximize the return on your WAT investment. You can also download a parts drawing or Operator Manual from our website.

Accept No Imitations — Check With Us First

In some cases, it may be hard to tell if the provider from whom you intend to buy Better Packages parts is an Authorized Distributor. Before you make your purchase, be sure to talk with our Customer Service department. They can point you in the right direction. You can reach them at 800-237-9151 (in the U.S.) or 203-926-3700 (around the world).

Making the Switch to WAT With Better Packages

Not yet using water-activated tape and considering making the switch? It’s easy to get up and running with WAT. We can answer any questions you have about our products, tell you about some of our many happy clients (from small startups to major corporations), and help you prepare your first order. We’re confident that once you make the switch, you’ll never look back! Contact us at your convenience.

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[This post republished from the Better Packages Blog]

4 Ways to Increase Your Packaging ROI

Whether your company ships a few packages every week or hundreds each day, packing and shipping costs impact your bottom line. Implementing changes to your packaging and delivery practices that save time and money can ultimately have a very positive impact on your shipping ROI. Plus, these cost-control measures are relatively easy to make.

“Whether your company ships a few packages every week or hundreds each day, packing and shipping costs impact your bottom line.” TWEET THIS

ROI-Boosting Shipping Strategies

In general, the three areas where you can get more for your packing and shipping dollar are the effective use of time, materials, and services. Specifically, some of the most effective ways to get a bigger return on your shipping ROI include:

1. Increase packing station efficiency

The more efficiently your team packs cartons, the less it costs to get packages to their destination. There is an entire science behind packing station design, but some of the key considerations include:

• ✔ Determining the right work area size to safely maximize productivity
• ✔ Engineering an efficient workflow
• ✔ Ensuring adequate packing supplies for uninterrupted operations

2. Switch to lightweight packaging

Both the size and shape of your packages can be a factor in the shipping cost. Here, we will focus on the weight. Since even a small increase or decrease in weight has the potential to move your fees into a higher or lower category, every ounce counts. To drop your shipping weights into a lower rate class, try strategies like:

• ✔ Using air pillows or custom-designed foam inserts rather than paper or other heavier packing materials.
• ✔ Packing in cartons just big enough for the items shipped. While you want the carton to properly accommodate an item, extra room means extra padding and more weight.
• ✔ Using corrugated cartons. Corrugated packaging has a three-layer design that creates air-filled pockets that add strength without adding weight.
• ✔ Sealing with water-activated tape (WAT). Also known as paper tape, gummed tape, or Kraft paper tape, WAT creates a strong, tamper-evident seal with just one strip. In fact, it effectively “reacts” with the carton surface, merging with it to develop a superior bond. Plastic pressure-sensitive tape doesn’t produce a strong seal. Consequently, many packers use several tape strips. Visit this page for more details on the ROI of WAT.

3. Use branded WAT to replace expensive printed boxes

Having your logo visible when a package is received is an effective tactic for increasing brand awareness. However, specially printed branded boxes can be expensive. WAT can be printed with logos, slogans, or other information that identifies your company. Consequently, not only does branded WAT provide cost-effective advertising, it also delivers:

• ✔ A cleaner, more finished look with a single strip
• ✔ Lower storage costs over printed boxes
• ✔ Easier identification of lost packages
• ✔ An effective way to communicate important information such as advice for opening the package, reminders about upcoming events (“Shop now for Mother’s Day”), etc.

4. Negotiate (or renegotiate) advantageous pricing with your shipper

It is not uncommon for people to assume that a company’s stated price for a service is non-negotiable. In other cases, the person in charge of a shipping contract may know that shippers have pricing flexibility but simply forgets to renegotiate the company’s rate periodically. Either way, it pays to keep in mind that:

• ✔ If you have a significant shipping volume, follow your shipper’s packaging guidelines, and pay your bills on time —  in other words, if you are a good customer — you have some leverage that may be useful in striking a better deal for your organization
• ✔ Shipping rates can be renegotiated at any time
• ✔ A good shipper will see rate negotiations as a win-win collaboration rather than a competition where only one side “wins”
• ✔ If your current shipper won’t provide the rate you believe you deserve, there are likely others who will

Smart Shipping Strategies are Money in the Bank

Increasing your profitability through initiatives like growing sales can be challenging, as you are, to a degree, at the mercy of your market. The ability to improve your bottom line by cutting shipping costs, on the other hand, is firmly within your control.

If you aren’t already closely tracking your shipping costs, be sure to start doing so and establish a baseline before you implement cost-control measures. With that information recorded, you can easily document the shipping department’s new contribution to the company’s financial health.

If you have questions about our water-activated tape, water-activated tape dispensers, and other products, and how they can help you increase your shipping ROI, please contact us at your convenience. 

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[This post republished from the Better Packages Blog]