What comes to your mind when you hear the term short-run boxes? What of prototyping? Do the two terms have a connection? For starters, short-run boxes refer to containers used for storage purposes. The storage may be temporary or permanent. Temporary storage is mainly used during the transportation of products. Short-run boxes can have up to 500 pieces.
Prototyping refers to developing products from an initial one. The initial product assures that other developed products would work. This is only possible if all the designs of the initial product/prototype are duplicated to the other products.
Short-run box prototyping involves building short-run packaging boxes from a prototype. The prototype can be adjusted in terms of messaging and visual appeal at any time. From the final design of the prototype, other boxes can be generated.
Instances Where Using Short Run Boxes Would Be Preferable
Below are cases where short-run boxes are ideal.
For low-capital companies: Short run boxes are cheaper than long-run boxes. A company with a limited capital investment might find them more economical.When creating a product launch kit for would-be investors: Short run boxes can be used to package merchandise for potential investors. The investor’s aim is usually to assess whether or not to invest in a product. Short-run boxes are economical for this activity. This is because the packaging investment will not be recouped from the demonstration exercise.When the final outlook and graphic design of packages are not complete: Sometimes companies begin their operations before fully designing their packaging material. Short-run boxes come in handy. Limited short-run boxes can be produced by such companies. They are then able to package their merchandise for sale while final designs are completed.
Instances When Prototyping Is Used
Prototyping can be used in the production of a variety of similar products. It can also be used when launching a new product.
Benefits of Short Run Boxes
Some of the advantages of using short-run boxes.
Affordability: Short run boxes are cheaper than long-run boxes. Companies with limited cash flow therefore still have an option in packaging. Buying short-run boxes on a large scale are economical than in small quantities. This is due to the economy of scale in large production.Room for rebranding: The boxes are not the final packaging materials for the company. The designs on these boxes can, therefore, be altered. The alteration may be necessary to fit with the desires of the customers. Reduction in storage requirement: Short run boxes are much smaller than long-run boxes. The space required to store the same amount of these boxes would be less for short-run ones. Short-run boxes are preferable when the storage warehouse is small.Reduction in inventory risks: The boxes only allow for the packaging of minimal inventory. This means that the business will only order what it needs. Cases of overstocking which could lead to obsoleting of the stock.Improvement of the turnaround: Short run boxes can be produced in manageable bits. They are produced and transported to stores faster. An incremental supply of these boxes would help stores in meeting short-notice delivery orders. Acting as a substitute: Short-run boxes can act as the alternate packaging for a company. This is usually in the short term period. During this period, a company may not yet have fully developed its final packaging.
Benefits of Prototyping
Prototyping has many benefits. Some of them are listed below.
Allows room for trying different ideas: Prototypes allow for modification. As such, different packaging ideas can be tried on a prototype. The ideas make the packaging unique. More boxes can be developed from the final prototype afterward.Cost reduction: A prototype should be analyzed before similar production takes place. The cost of correcting faults should only be borne by the prototype. Only then should similar production take place from the prototype. If the cost of correcting faults was to be charged to each production, it would be uneconomical.Prototypes enable the alteration of messages on packages to fit with the current customer demands. Other aspects such as shape and size of the packaging can be altered from the prototype.
The Need for Prototyping and Short Run Boxes
Prototyping is necessary because it saves the business a lot of money. Prototyping allows you to develop many products/packages from a single specimen. If each product were to be developed separately, the cost of production and alteration would skyrocket.
Short-run boxes play a pivotal role in packaging. They are relatively cost-friendly in bulk and reliable in terms of their acquisition time.