LOEWE Logistics & Care GmbH, renowned for its precision, reliability, and customer focus, has established itself as a leading logistics company in Germany and globally over 15 years. The company stands out for its efficient, tailored strategies, quick decision-making, and a dedicated team ensuring top-notch service daily.
In the dynamic logistics market, staying competitive demands continual process improvement. LOEWE Logistics & Care recognized this need and collaborated with Packsize, a packaging solutions provider, to innovate their packaging process. This collaboration aimed to benefit their client, Lufthansa, for whom they dispatch WorldShop articles.
Vanessa Peter, LOEWE's Logistics Project Manager in Herford, Germany, spearheaded the project, aiming to develop a suitable packaging concept. The project's primary goals included reducing shipping package volume, eliminating standard boxes, optimizing the pick and pack process, and reducing corrugated cardboard usage for environmental benefits.
The solution development involved a thorough analysis and testing phase, including trials and workshops at the Packsize Solution Lab. The cooperative process, led by Packsize's Philipp Venjakob and Edwin Jonkman, focused on creating a tailor-made packaging solution integrated with LOEWE's warehouse management system.
According to Vanessa Peter, the partnership with Packsize was constructive from the start: "The whole process was very cooperative, deadlines were met, contacts were always available and able to help, and the Packsize hotline always provided the answers we needed.”
Vanessa Peter defined the most important project goals:
1. Volume reduction for the shipping packages
2. Reduction of standard, stocked boxes to a quantity of zero
3. Optimization of the entire pick and pack process
4. Reduction in the use of corrugated cardboard for eco-friendly packaging
A little over a year and a half after reaching out to Packsize, the solution was implemented, featuring the EM7-25 custom box creation machine and a cross conveyor system which transported the tailor-made z-Fold® corrugated blanks to the packaging workstation for just-in-time, custom-sized packaging. This innovation eliminated the need for filler material and standard, stocked boxes, significantly contributing to sustainability and process optimization.
Packsize Customer Manager Philipp Venjakob also found the collaborative approach to working on the project exceptionally constructive and well-structured. “We got to know and appreciate the LOEWE team, which allowed us to clarify a lot of implementation details, upfront, in the project phase”, says Venjakob.
The implementation proved successful, especially during the first holiday season, with up to 1,000 packages processed per day using the new system. The Packsize solution not only streamlined LOEWE's packaging process but also aligned with their environmental goals. The company looks forward to further optimizing this system for different product types and maintaining this efficient, sustainable packaging approach.
LOEWE was able to reduce the number of standard, stocked boxes from 25 to zero. Thanks to the On Demand Packaging® system, it was possible to eliminate the costly supply process and storage requirements for these standard boxes. Now all of the components needed to process the order are delivered straight to the staff at their workstations - just in time and made to measure.