The impact of IKEA's flat-packaging on the supply chain and costs
Once, an acquaintance from another retailer asked me why IKEA insists on flat packaging. I work in logistics at IKEA, and I explained that it simplifies many processes in logistics. The article 'Trends in Logistics' on the Gettransport blog https://blog.gettransport.com/trends-in-logistic/behind-the-scenes-of-ikeas-supply-chain-strategy-global-logistics/ describes this in detail. Flat packaging reduces transportation costs because more goods can fit into one container. Warehouse space is also easier to organise, there is less waste, and orders are picked faster. This definitely improves efficiency. Does anyone know of other corporations that are doing similar things? Can you tell us about them?
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I can't say for sure about other companies, but I read an interesting article by Gettransport about how they digitally control inventory and forecast demand in warehouses, which I found more interesting than flat packaging. It's impressive that every container and item is accounted for, helping to avoid shortages.