Meal Kit Delivery Companies Keep Cool With In-House Packaging Machines
June 22, 2017
Meal kit home delivery services bring fresh ingredients to consumer's homes, pre-measured and ready to combine into a meal. While in transit, perishable items in meal kits must be kept cold to ensure their freshness and safety. Most meal kit companies use flexible cold packs for this purpose, and most of the time outsource their manufacture. An increasingly popular option is for these companies to bring the production and packaging of cold packs in-house, and here's why:
1. Scalable, just-in-time inventory.
Perhaps the most common reason we hear as to why many meal kit companies are bringing packaging of their cold packs in-house is the advantage of just-in-time inventory. No more waiting on an outside company to manufacture and deliver your cold packs. Suddenly need more? No problem. You have an onsite packaging system at your disposal that can form, fill, and seal 50 - 100 plus cold packs per minute.
2. Less planning required.
Many suppliers of cold packs work with hundreds of different companies; as such they need sufficient lead time to be able to place your order in the queue and produce the quantity you need. Some suppliers schedule up to 30 days out, meaning meal kit companies must anticipate and plan for their future needs. This can be an inaccurate science at times. With in-house packaging equipment, you can tell your production crew that you need 500,000 cold packs by the end of the week, and that can be done off the cuff, just like that, with a minimal amount of planning.
3. Less space needed for storage.
Most cold pack manufacturers require you to buy in bulk, which will require storage space at your facility. Because you can make your cold packs on demand with an onsite packaging system, stocking up and storing large quantities is a thing of the past. This frees up substantial space that can be used for more profitable inventory.
4. Decrease recurring outsourcing costs.
When the production and packaging of cold packs are outsourced, you are paying for the package, the freight to ship it to you, labor to receive and process the packages, and storage space. These costs are recurring; they don't go away. When you bring packaging in-house those costs are eliminated, replaced with minimal maintenance/parts and labor costs related to the equipment.
5. More control over the entire process.
Many companies who have chosen to bring packaging in-house report a sense of control over the process that they didn't have before. There's something to be said about having the entire process at arms-length so adjustments and improvements can be quickly made.
There is also increased concern from consumers about the packaging materials and ingredients used in cold packs. Having control of the production process from start to finish means you can control and change the components used in cold pack
We consult with meal kit companies just like yours about unique needs that arise when considering whether to bring cold pack packaging in-house. We know that return on investment is key and want to create a packaging solution that is value-added. Request a consultation today.
