Breaking through constraints

WITH OVER 1.3 million part numbers in its catalogue and all operations handled in house, ECS recognised that it did not have enough capacity in its manual packing process to consistently meet customer needs or expectations. 

ECS turned to Sparck Technologies’ CVP Impack Automated Packaging Solution to support current demands and future growth. With this inline auto-boxing technology, each unique single- and multi-item order is 3D scanned on demand to determine the minimum box size required. Then, corrugated cardboard is custom cut to eliminate unnecessary volume and reduce or eliminate the need for void fill materials. Finally, the order is auto-boxed in a fit-to-size parcel, taped, weighed, and labeled for shipping. 

By creating a right-sized box every 7 seconds, ECS can count on higher throughput and better use of labour resources. The CVP Impack can perform the work of roughly twenty human packers in an eight-hour period. This allows ECS to remove the manual packing choke points while improving the efficiency of their existing staff for higher-value tasks. 

From the customer-facing side, the CVP Impack will auto-box up to 70% of its catalogue with little to no void filler or packing material. This allows ECS to improve their customer experience with sustainable packaging that is easy to recycle or reuse. 

ECS Tuning GM of special operations Max Everhard says: “With more associates picking orders, and a machine that can handle the volume, we anticipate a substantial increase in the number of orders moved out the door daily. That efficiency improvement translates to promises kept on shipping times with in-stock orders that are ready to ship on the same day.”

For more information, visit https://sparcktechnologies.com

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