Integrating Packaging and Logistics: Improving Supply Chain Performance

Packaging is a fundamental element in logistics systems. It not only affects every logistical activity; it also has a significant impact on logistics costs and performance. In order for packaging and logistics professionals to gain insight into packaging-dependent costs and performance, the interactions between packaging systems and logistics systems must be understood. The presented research provides a comprehensive overview of the physical interactions between packaging systems and logistics systems in retail supply chains. It also serves as an elementary step towards understanding the role of packaging in logistics, and as an aid in showing how packaging-related decisions might impact on supply chains. The research implies that understanding the interactions between packaging and logistics makes it possible to make decisions, such as changing the packaging system or logistics system, or both, based on a holistic packaging approach. As a result, the research provides means to bridge the gap between packaging and logistics professionals and presents a model of the impact of decisions on packaging and logistics systems.

Dr Daniel Hellström is assistant professor in Packaging Logistics at Lund University, Faculty of Engineering. He holds a PhD and lectures masters and executive training programmes in Packaging and Logistics Management. His research mainly deals with packaging in supply chains and has been published in several international journals.