Archive: Sep 2022

Types of POP Displays and Packaging Solutions

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POP DisplaysPoint-of-purchase (POP) displays are used in various types of businesses and stores to feature particular products with specialized marketing display material. POP displays are used to focus consumer attention on specific brands or products. These types of displays are often seen near checkouts or featured prominently in the center of aisles or in areas of high consumer traffic. The goal of POP displays is to increase the likelihood of a purchase, whereas broad marketing campaigns attempt to increase interest in the store as a whole.

There are many types of POP displays in various ways to market merchandise to increase consumer attention and convert shoppers to buyers. It is helpful to realize the various types of POP displays available to choose the best display option for your products.

Many Types of POP Displays

There are a variety of POP display types to market brands and products. The most popular pop display types include:

    • Freestanding

– freestanding POP displays standalone to draw attention to specific products throughout the store. They are typically constructed with corrugated and allow businesses to showcase a creative presentation.

    • Countertop

– countertop displays feature smaller items and typically fall into the category of impulse purchases. These are often located at checkout counters and feature small items like snacks, candy bars, lighters, batteries, and any number of small items a consumer may need and forgot to purchase during their visit.

    • Endcap

– these displays are what you see at the end of aisles to capture the attention of shoppers as they roam the store going aisle to aisle.

    • Banner stands

– banner stands are larger in design than other types of POP displays and feature standalone signage to attract consumer attention. Banner stands typically feature signage for information and can be located anywhere in the store as they normally do not actually physically hold products but provide messaging to consumers. They are versatile and can be moved in different places throughout a store.

    • Dump bins

– dump bins provide a practical option to feature small, individually packaged items such as toys, health and beauty products, candy, and various other small goods.

    • Gravity fed displays

– these types of POP displays are ideal for products that either do not stack well or are packaged in bags. Examples include gravity fed displays to release products like lip balm, cosmetics, and many other items.

Temporary POP Displays

POP displays can be temporary, which is the most common type of POP retail display. They are typically constructed with cardboard and are available in various sizes, such as full aisle displays are countertop displays. Temporary displays can feature products like clearance items, books, DVDs, and various consumer goods. Some types of temporary POP displays can even be constructed with the product itself, such as the stacks of cases of soda, water, or beer we often see in grocery stores.

Semi-permanent POP Displays

Semipermanent point-of-purchase displays are made of somewhat sturdier material than temporary displays, such as heavier cardboard, wood, hard plastics, or metal. They can range in size from countertop to full-size displays at the ends of aisles. Semi-permanent displays can hold sturdier products such as shampoo, electronics, and many other types of high-end consumer goods.

Secondary And POP Display Packaging Solutions

Peoria production solutions, PPS, has been providing secondary packaging and POP display assembly solutions to a wide range of businesses for more than 80 years. We offer in-depth expertise in packaging techniques and packaging types to assist our customers with vast market knowledge. PPS offers a wide range of secondary packaging solutions that make your products display ready with appealing display packaging that promotes brand awareness.

PPS is a leader among contract packaging providers offering decades of experience, a skilled workforce, and automated packaging equipment. We follow strict quality policies as part of our ISO9001:2015 certification with a skilled workforce dedicated to exceeding customer expectations. Contact us to learn more about the many options for your product packaging and the various types of POP displays.

Optimizing Your Assembly Through Kitting

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Contract Kitting ServicesKitting supports assembly and production processes in the warehouse or on the manufacturing line. Kitting is an excellent logistics strategy that involves grouping together individual parts or components with individual SKUs into one package or kit with one SKU. The kit includes all items needed at a particular assembly or manufacturing station where operators have everything they need to assemble or contribute to final product production.

Kitting in a warehouse for assembly significantly improves lean processes as workers do not need to search and find necessary components to support their process. A kitting strategy improves lean processes and reduces errors at the same time. When workers have everything they need in a kit that has already passed inspection, they know these parts are the correct items and meet quality standards.

Assembly lines are common in many manufacturing segments such as automotive, aerospace, medical components, appliances, furniture, and more. Grouping products together for smooth operation only makes sense to keep these processes on task with a streamlined flow of goods. Kits that support these manufacturing processes are sequenced to move along the assembly line as required were numerous components that could not be marketed separately or joined with other processes to form a final product or contribute to the manufacturing process.

Outsourced Kitting Provides Many Advantages

Kitting provides many advantages with a streamlined flow of goods and supports lean manufacturing and production operations. Performing kitting in-house, however, poses many challenges for companies. Businesses that wish to incorporate kitting in their process to reap the many benefits with improved flow of goods must first determine the products to be kitted, and set up an internal kitting station that requires capacity and labor.

Outsourcing kitting to a contract kitting and assembly provider alleviates these challenges and provides additional benefits to companies. Contract kitting service providers already have the capacity and systems in place to perform reliable, kitting and assembly of products received. This allows companies to focus on their area of expertise and niche manufacturing, warehousing, or retail operations.

Some of the most important advantages of outsourcing kitting include:

  • Reduced movement and optimized work time

  • – when assembly workers do not have to gather and prepare items for their station, the reduction of movement and time to look for materials optimizes productivity.

  • Eliminates errors
  • – workers that receive kits already assembled can have confidence in having the right parts at the right time that have already passed quality inspections. This eliminates human error in picking incorrect products and ensures quality assemblies.

  • Increased productivity
  • – kits delivered to the right station at the right time with the right products significantly boost productivity to ensure uninterrupted, continuous assembly.

  • Maximizes capacity
  • – companies that outsource kitting maximize facility capacity without the need to dedicate workstations just for kitting. Space can be allocated strictly to necessary assembly and production without wasting valuable resources on a subprocess.

PPS Offers Contract Kitting and Assembly with Value Added Services

Peoria Production Solutions, PPS, supports a variety of warehousing and manufacturing operations with experience in kitting and assembly services. We offer more than 80 years of expertise in meticulously assembling kits for a variety of market segments. Our modern, state-of-the-art facility provides ample capacity to dedicate workstations for high quality and controlled kitting. We offer a variety of value added services to meet specific customer requests, such as sewing, various packaging solutions, wrapping, palletizing, and shipping.

Our Enterprise Resource Planning, ERP, system provides tight quality control with full accountability of all customer-supplied material and lot code traceability. We practice strict quality policies with top-down involvement, and invest in our skilled and dedicated staff with ongoing training and cross-training programs. PPS practices lean operations and Value Stream Mapping, VSM, exercises to ensure the most efficient kitting and assembly to support timely delivery of quality products.

PPS is recognized as a leading kitting and assembly provider, offering solutions to a wide range of industries and applications. We partner with our customers to provide customized kitting solutions that meet your needs and exceed your expectations. Contact us to learn more about optimizing your process with an experienced contract kitting provider.

Kitting in Automotive Manufacturing

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Automotive Parts KittingKitting is the process of combining related items together, taking multiple SKUs, and creating one SKU in one kit. Kitting products is common practice in many retail market segments but kitting also provides many benefits in a manufacturing environment. Kitting tools together for easier usage in the manufacturing process supports lean production processes with everything operators need at the assembly or production stage.

Determine Which Automotive Tools to Kit Together

Kitting tools for automotive applications is similar to how a mechanic keeps his toolbox. Everything that is needed for a certain process is organized and readily available. Automotive manufacturers need to determine the exact tools on hand, where they are located, and where they are needed. Do these tools need to travel to other departments? Should they stay at one particular workstation? Which tools should be used together, and what are the storage capacities?

Specific work instructions should document kitting and production procedures at each stage of the manufacturing process.

Kitting for Quick and Accurate Assembly

The most important reason for kitting in automotive is to support just-in-time manufacturing with kits of materials delivered to the right location at the right time for maximum efficiency. This is also called offline kitting. When manufacturers determine the exact components required for kitting, outsourcing to a contract kitting and assembly provider can even further optimize the process for lean production.

Outsource Kitting to Optimize Automotive Manufacturing

Kitting is an inventory management technique that supports faster production and assembly lines with lean storage and streamlined processes. Once automotive manufacturers determine the exact tools and components that should be kitted, outsourcing kitting to a contract kitting and assembly provider provides many benefits.

Manufacturers that receive fully stocked kits of all of the parts needed can direct them to the proper location quickly, without allocating floor space and labor to perform the kitting in-house. This saves on labor expenses and allows manufacturers to focus on their niche product production. Partnering with an experienced contract kitting and assembly provider provides even more benefits with in-depth expertise in kitting and packaging techniques.

PPS Offers Kitting and Assembly for Automotive Tools and Components

Peoria Production Solutions, PPS, is an experienced contract kitting and assembly provider, offering solutions to companies of all sizes, including automotive manufacturers. We offer more than 80 years of experience in performing contract kitting, assembly, packaging, and other secondary production services, allowing us to enhance our customers’ productivity and profitability with quality products delivered on time.

PPS has the capacity in our large, modern facility to set up dedicated workstations to ensure quality and timely kitting and assembly. We follow strict quality policies aligned with our ISO9001:2015 certification and enjoy a dedicated workforce committed to performing high quality, meticulous work to exceed customer expectations. With decades of experience and continual investment into the latest technology to support automated processes, we are experienced in kitting with various types of packaging such as in tool boxes, foam holders, secondary and flexible packaging, wrapping, and palletizing.

PPS offers kitting solutions for companies of all sizes and applications, such as for order fulfillment, warehousing, manufacturing, and various market segments, such as automotive, medical applications, consumer goods, and more.

PPS is recognized as a leading production solutions provider with vast experience in secondary production services, including kitting, assembly, sewing, packaging, repackaging, palletizing, and more. We ensure high quality work with a skilled staff and tight quality control with automation tools such as our ERP system. Contact us to learn more about improving your automotive process with kitting and assembly from an experienced contract kitting provider.

The Many Benefits Contract Packagers Offer Manufacturers

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Benefits of Using Contract Packagers

Packaging is an important part of the manufacturing process yet oftentimes packaging operations managers are focused on deadlines and costs rather than implementing strategies to retain and attract customers. Consumers play one of the most important roles in the packaging process, and businesses that pay attention to consumer demands and interests will reap the benefits.

Manufacturers that work with contract packagers are poised to experience many benefits due to the extensive knowledge and expertise they bring to the packaging industry.

Contract Packagers Provide Many Benefits to Manufacturers

When manufacturers partner with a contract packaging company, they should determine the specific packaging operations that are poised to outsource in a standalone process. A company should evaluate the capabilities of the contract packager, including capacity, technology, quality control, and experienced manpower. Collaborating with a contract packager should contribute to a manufacturer’s productivity and profitability.

Some of the most recognized benefits of outsourcing to a contract packager include:

Reduced costs and increased profit
Outsourcing to contract packaging companies eliminates the need for manufacturers to invest in facility capacity, labor, materials, and equipment associated with the packaging process. Floorspace and money saved can be invested into a company’s niche manufacturing production process for greater profitability.

Greater flexibility with more packaging options

An experienced contract packager is familiar with the many types of packaging materials and can offer suggestions that may provide greater consumer appeal, product protection, or brand awareness. Manufacturers may not be fully aware of the continually evolving trends in packaging that appeal to consumers, such as sustainability, flexibility, and environmentally friendly options.

Increased output and quicker lead times

Since contract packagers focus on packaging as their area of expertise and already have the staff, capacity, and equipment to perform packaging processes quickly, manufacturers can receive packaged products back even faster than performing this process in-house. This improves internal efficiencies, on-time deliveries, and customer satisfaction.

Value added packaging processes

Most contract packagers are familiar with the many value-added services that enhance packaging such as barcoding, protective packaging with various types of dunnage, sewing, wrapping, palletizing, and shipping.

Great option for seasonal, short-term packaging needs

Businesses that experience an increase in seasonal product output can experience significant benefits by outsourcing to contract packagers. This eliminates the need to hire additional staff just for packaging, saving on labor, training expenses, benefits, payroll, and administrative duties for a short-term increase in packaging needs.

PPS Offers Professional and Experienced Contract Packaging

Peoria Production Solutions, PPS, has been providing contract packaging services since 1941, offering more than 80 years of experience. We are an industry-leading contract packager in Illinois, providing secondary production solutions to businesses of all sizes, including some of the largest fortune 100 companies in the country. We follow strict quality policies as part of our ISO9001:2015 certification and provide full lot code traceability and accountability of customer supplied material with our Enterprise Resource Planning, ERP, system.

PPS differs from other contract packagers in our mission which is focused on providing employment to our select group of highly skilled, dedicated employees. We partner with our customers to provide the highest level of quality and service, offering decades of expertise and insight into the latest packaging trends. Contact us to learn more about the many benefits we provide as an experienced, leading contract packaging company.

Hand Assembly & Kitting Outsourcing in Lean Manufacturing

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Outsourcing for Lean Manufacturing

Companies practicing lean manufacturing experience many benefits with improved process efficiencies, inventory management, lead times, and profitability. Assembly and kitting are practices that contribute to lean production operations when designed and implemented properly. Hand assembly and kitting can be labor-intensive and monotonous for manufacturers.

Outsourcing assembly and kitting can improve your own lean operations, and when contract kitting suppliers practice lean operations, you can have confidence in receiving quality products on time.

Identify Waste in Lean Production

Lean principles and practices can be applied to any industrial process with the main focus on eliminating waste in production. Identifying inefficiencies and waste is key to implementing lean practices and improvements. Hand assembly operations can introduce various inefficiencies with intricate, time-consuming tasks that can create bottlenecks in your process.

The 8 Wastes of Lean, as identified by SixSigma.us, follow the acronym TIMWOODS and include:

  • Transportation
  • Inventory
  • Motion
  • Waiting
  • Overproduction
  • Over-Processing
  • Defects
  • Skills

All of these areas should be evaluated when identifying inefficiencies or waste in hand assembly and kitting.

Critical Steps to Lean Hand Assembly and Kitting

Careful evaluation of these areas will help contract kitting and assembly providers to eliminate waste with lean hand assembly processes.

Transportation – the distance required to transport work in process from one department to another is a key area of improvement. Simple production compositions with the shortest transportation distance available promote lean operations.

Inventory – assembly and kitting providers that maintain enough inventory for the process without creating excessive over stocking situations are most efficient. Inventory is an asset, although excess inventory is considered wasteful.

Motion – unnecessary movement required of employees, machinery, or equipment is wasteful. When workers need to stretch, reach, lift, walk, or bend in excess, these extra movements add up to wasted minutes and hours and could create repetitive stress on personnel. Reducing motion waste improves efficiencies and increases employee health and safety.

Waiting – when employees are waiting on material or equipment that is sitting idle, this waiting halts production and disrupts efficient assembly and kitting. Designing processes to ensure continuous flow prevents unpredictable bottlenecks.

Overproduction – producing products with the “just in case” theory instead of “just in time” may keep an idol workforce busy, but overproduction creates excess inventory that is wasteful. Lean assembly and kitting follow the rules of lean manufacturing, where products should be produced to order, not prior to demand.

Over-Processing – overprocessing includes performing added functions over requirements. Companies that utilize a Kanban system experience benefits from an effective tool that supports smooth running production and highlights lead times and cycle times for improvement.

Defects – recognizing a defect in an assembled component after assembly is extremely wasteful and requires disassembly of the entire unit. Every workstation and every kitting and assembly process should display clearly defined work instructions, including any critical dimensions that should be checked and images of common defects. All employees in every stage of the assembly process should be performing visual inspections or taking measurements as required.

Skills – not utilizing the human talent and ingenuity present in employees is a waste of skill. Companies that engage employees in the process allow for improvements.

PPS Practices Lean Assembly and Kitting

Peoria Production Solutions, PPS, is an ISO9001:2015 certified contract assembly and kitting provider, following a strict quality policy with top-down involvement and employee engagement. We support lean production for some of the largest Fortune 100 companies in the country, as well as small to medium-sized businesses. PPS helps companies of all sizes to improve lean operations with reliable, high-quality contract kitting and assembly services.

Our Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system provides complete traceability and full accountability of all customer-supplied material. We practice Value Stream Mapping to improve process efficiencies and eliminate bottlenecks for a streamlined workflow. Cross-training of a skilled work staff improves efficient product flow, supporting lean assembly and kitting practices.

PPS is recognized as a lean assembly and kitting provider with more than 80 years of experience, automated equipment, and a skilled work staff. We have the capacity to set up dedicated assembly workstations, allowing you to free up capacity to focus on your niche manufacturing process. Contact us to learn more about our lean practices and how we can add value to your supply chain with lean hand assembly and kitting services.