Starting out in 2010 as a local retailer of high-quality tools and fixings, serving customers in and around Milton Keynes, UK Planet Tools has grown rapidly to become one of the largest online suppliers to the building trade for power-tools and related products.
As with most ecommerce businesses the speed and efficiency of the pick, pack and dispatch operation is vital, making all the difference to customer satisfaction levels and potential sales – particularly, at peak. For the managing director of UK Planet Tools, Bohdan Hrystayenko, this was an aspect of the business where he could see automation bringing significant cost savings combined with an uplift to productivity and it was the packing operation that held the greatest potential for a fast return on investment (ROI).
Having spoken with Sparck Technologies (Packsize), Bohdan was aware of the major benefits, in the form of labour and materials savings, that could come from using automated ‘right-size’ boxing technology. The technology was perfect for UK Planet Tool’s varied product profiles and mixed order quantities. “This machine was exactly what we wanted,” says Bohdan, “and the benefits for our business have been enormous. With each box now custom-made to fit the exact dimensions of every order, it has saved us 40% on consumables and material costs. Our reliance on manual labour has dropped significantly, transforming what was once a labour-intensive packing process.”
But for Bohdan, the most significant benefit from purchasing the CVP Impack has been the uplift in customer service, enabling a 5pm cut-off for a next-day delivery – a reliable fulfilment capability that builds customer confidence and wins new business.
“The Trustpilot reviews have been glowing green ever since,” says Bohdan. “In fact, I calculate that had we installed the CVP Impack before the autumn peak we could have done 1.5x the business we did. This machine has given us the opportunity to grow the business. There’s no stopping us now
