why is packaging important?
Hewlett-Packard products are distributed worldwide in air freight, truck, padded van,
and sea freight shipping environments. Of paramount concern to Hewlett-Packard is that no
matter where and how the products are shipped, they arrive at the customer's door in
working condition without need of repair or adjustment. This is especially important in
the computer and electronic industry where future sales may be based largely on the
quality, integrity and performance of a company's previous delivery. Correctly designed
packaging delivers the product to the customer in proper condition so that they can put it
to use immediately, realizing all of the performance designed into the product.
As Hewlett-Packard products move from the end of the production line to the customer,
they experience a number of potentially damaging forces, including shock from handling
drops, vibration from transportation, and compression from stacking in warehouses and
vehicles. Hewlett-Packard's distribution environment is particularly challenging because
customers often require rapid delivery, and environmental shock forces increase at faster
handling speeds. Understanding the distribution environment for HP products, along with
having the capability of testing products and packages for this environment, allows the
packaging engineers to design protective packaging. They work closely with product
designers to optimize the product-package combination, balancing the cost of the
additional packaging against the cost of improving the product. This is a function of
matching the protective level of the package with the needs of the product, using a
minimum of material. The reason for this is simple: shipping costs and material costs
increase as the size of the package increases and even small reductions can effect
significant savings. In addition, the packaging engineers must keep in mind the
environmental (green) aspects of their design in order to meet the and mounting
legislative requirements.
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