What’s the cherry on the cake for food fulfilment?

One of the biggest challenges of ambient food fulfilment is managing the contract packing supply chain.

As a packing partner, we keep control of the supply chain and ensure products reach the shelves or are delivered direct to consumer (e-commerce fulfilment).

Here’s why having a robust system is the cherry on the cake, and how it delivers complete brand fulfilment.

Fulfilment services for ambient food products

The key is to make sure every component we need to fulfil the job is aligned.

As the components are often from different suppliers, not to mention carriers, this is potentially challenging.

It’s easiest to unpack the process using an example of a current high street client. Granby is their contract packing partner for a range of products from their own brand food range, including tinned biscuits.

• Biscuits, which arrive from the bakers (partner A) sealed in cellophane for storage in our warehouse
• Box, basket or tin from partner B
• Labels from partner C
• Outer packaging for despatch eg cardboard box from partner D
• Collation, assembly and despatch by partner E (Granby)
• Delivery by carrier partner F (for example, Royal Mail, DPD, Hermes)

As you probably appreciate, this is a relatively simple direct packaging solution with relatively few partners to co-ordinate.

1. Trackability in advance of receipt

We take an active role by tracking all components even before they arrive in our warehousing facilities.

We do this by using our API to connect our fulfilment system, SCOPe, to the systems of other suppliers and carriers. It’s an automated process that keeps everything simple and accurate.

This gives us – and you – full visibility of where components are, who has them, and when they will be booked into our warehouse.

2. Stock management

SCOPe allows us to make sure that the biscuits will arrive regularly to replenish stock, with the right volumes coming through at the right times.

On the warehousing side, we make sure stock is rotated to make the most of the BBE and manage batch and LOT control.

In the warehouse, we keep track of the biscuits by barcoding them upon arrival. If possible, our partners will have already used our labels and allocated a SKU that can be tracked right through to despatch and delivery.

3. Risk management and recalls

Barcoding and trackability provide not only sales data for reporting purposes, but a framework for recalls.

Whether you’re handling recalls in store, or we handle them for you, the information on batches is completely visible via your dashboard, allowing the recall to be precise and timely.

The recipe

As an experienced 3PL company, we don’t just look at the contract packing side of things, we think holistically about retail packaging solutions.

Is your packaging fit for purpose?

We talk about best practice and packaging a lot! But great direct packaging solutions are so important to the success of your contract packing project.

• Make sure it arrives in pristine condition
• Making sure, even if packaging is weighty, we can control despatch budgets
• Helping you meet your corporate environmental objectives

We can work with suppliers for issues like odd shapes or weighty glass jars to make sure your packaging is optimised for despatch.

BRCGS

We work to British Retail Consortium Global StandardsBRCGS) and we operate a clean room (white room) for contract packing foodstuffs.

Labelling

Many food products have complex labelling because of multiple regulatory requirements. We need to make sure the labels are always in inventory so they don’t hold up despatch. We add the correct BBE dates ourselves.

Value-added services

Your fulfilment partner should always be focused on helping you get the most value from fulfilment.

We want to help you build great relationships with your customers and everything we do is to support your growth through this approach.

A complete end-to-end fulfilment service

See more about the fulfilment services we offer as a contract packing partner or, if you’re ready to chat, get in touch and ask how we can add value to your next project.

Photo by Michaela Baum on Unsplash