AI Optimises The Filling Of Packing Cartons
Well-filled packing cartons can save up to 50 per cent in excess shipping space, reducing the number of truckloads.
Contract logistics provider DHL Supply Chain now offers business customers an on-demand packaging solution that makes shipping more cost-effective and environmentally friendly. The AI solution OptiCarton helps optimise the filling volume of existing, pre-configured cartons and make better use of the packing sets. In some cases, the software even suggests splitting orders into multiple shipments if it is more economical and reduces the carbon footprint.
OptiCarton represents DHL’s response to the current shortage of packaging material and cardboard boxes. But not just that, initial pilot tests show further advantages of the solution: customers save an average of 15 percent, and in some cases even up to 35 percent, on shipping costs. OptiCarton is therefore particularly interesting for business customers with large shipping volumes, such as e-sellers and online shops.
Fully automated software solution
“Even though such a solution may seem relatively simple at first, providing packing instructions for individual e-commerce shipments in real time is actually quite complex. We are proud to offer a fully automated software solution that helps our customers optimise the utilisation of existing packing sets with the help of artificial intelligence,” says Dietmar Steins, VP Global Solutions Design at DHL Supply Chain. “Depending on the product, volume and size, the software not only suggests the optimal size of the outer packaging, but also offers individual, visual assistance on how to make the best use of the space in the box. The presentation is very intuitive and reminiscent of the well-known computer game Tetris. It’s basically just simple software, but in practice it saves our customers a considerable amount of money.”
According to initial calculations, an optimally pre-configured and well-used set of cartons can save up to 50 per cent empty space in the shipments. This significantly reduces the number of truck loads and business customers not only save costs for oversized boxes and filling material, but also for shipping, as unnecessary transports are eliminated. In addition, the solution can make recommendations on whether and how an order should be split to optimise the shipping configuration. This makes OptiCarton particularly end-user friendly.
