Operations Management is defined as the management function responsible for all activities directly concerned with making a product, collecting various inputs and converting them into desired outputs through operations1; OM discipline can be applied to manufacturing, service industries and non-profit organizations.
Over the years, new tools and elements such as TQM, JIT, and ECR have become part of the OM discipline that recognizes the need to integrate these tools and elements of the management system with the company’s strategy. In order to manage all operations, organizations have to define a strategy, whose decisions are based on three levels: strategic, tactical and operational. Each level is integrated with the others and has to be interrelated in order to follow a common purpose. Strategic, tactical and operational decision levels are strictly connected with packaging features.
Packaging is a multidimensional function that takes on a fundamental role in organizations to achieve successful management of operations. Johansson2 stated that the packaging system (made up of primary, secondary and tertiary packaging and accessories used to protect the products inside) could be divided into three main functions that interact with each other. They are flow, market and environment. The flow function consists of packaging features that contribute to more efficient handling during transport. The market function considers the aesthetics aspect in order to create value for the product and finally, the environment function has the purpose of reducing the negative effects of packaging on the environment. Packaging has an important role along the whole supply chain: all the parties (e.g. suppliers, manufacturers, retailers, end consumers) are interested in the packaging features (e.g. protection of the product, aesthetics aspects, reduction of the environmental impact, etc.).
In order to find the optimal packaging system management, the authors have developed a complete mathematical model that represents added value for companies seeking to estimate the total costs of their packaging system and consequently its impact on total company costs. The model considers all the cost parameters regarding the packaging system, e.g. engineering cost, warehousing cost, labour cost, transport cost, etc.
The packaging system takes on a fundamental role in online shopping. In recent years, web operations have evolved and organizations who want to start online business have to reconsider the role of packaging: from merely “shop window” in real shops, packaging has to transform into a means of information and transport. The changing role of packaging in the purchase of a product makes it desirable and possible to give more attention to the consumer’s perception of a brand while he is using it, and less attention to its shelf presentation3.
The correlation between packaging and e-commerce is a relatively new aspect. The case study described in Section 5 has shown the will of organizations to enter into the new e-commerce business, but also the changes that they have to make to the packaging system, since the packaging requirements of online shopping are different from those of a real shop. Organizations gain important benefits from e-commerce, such as the increase in labour cost savings.
Several modifications have to be considered for future thinking concerning online packaging. Communicative and information functions must be built in to help consumers to identify the products easily and to assist them in making precise decisions and reinforcing brand identity for consumers online. In addition, the ability to attract consumers’ attention and incite their curiosity about the products are important points to analyse in the future in order to increase the potential development of packages for online shopping.
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