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Bust your inbound bottlenecks
Bust Your Inbound Bottlenecks
Inbound bottlenecks have a knock on effect throughout your business – that’s no surprise.
From missed shipping deadlines to stock outages, inbound bottlenecks can cause a lot of stress and cost a lot of money.
The solution is simple, identify the cause, take steps to fix it, review the effectiveness. Sounds easy on paper – but in reality? That can be easier said than done.
That’s why Springpack, have developed this guide. To help you bust your inbound bottlenecks.
What is a bottleneck?
According to Dictionary.com, a bottleneck is defined as:
“a place or stage in a process at which progress is impeded”
In a warehouse and dispatch environment, this means that things are stuck, and are piling up. It happens when too much is sent to one area. An example of this:
An automotive manufacturer is making wheels. Once the wheels are made, they are sent to another part of the warehouse to have tyres fitted. The delivery of the tyres has been delayed, but the production of the wheels continues, and the wheels that require tyres are slowly increasing. Workflow has stopped. There’s a queue.
Once the tyre delivery arrives, the team will be working at full capacity to meet the demand of the backlog.
This is a bottleneck – the process has halted, yet the production lines are mounting up.
Why are bottlenecks a problem?
Bottlenecks are a problem because they impact the efficiency of your business. Whether that’s production lines, outbound shipments, or inventory levels. A bottleneck adds avoidable and unnecessary strain to your business – harming your operational efficiency.
Bottlenecks affect your:
Business operations
Production processes
Inventory Management
Warehouse Operations
Performance
Create slow downs
You need to identify the cause of the bottleneck
Bottleneck causes –
Supply chain issues: plan deliveries in advance, use a calendar system to plan for when and where deliveries will be coming.
Incorrect deliveries/paperwork: Work with your supplier to ensure all paperwork is correct, and the correct quantities of an item are delivered.
Too big a delivery: It’s common to order a lot of one line in one go to get a better price break. But this can lead to overstocking.
Is the issue the cause of processing inefficiencies?
Are there enough people to process the delivery?
Are your deliveries too big, and too many at once?
Many businesses don’t realise the cause of their bottlenecks, or incorrectly attribute them.
How to beat the bottlenecks?
Once you’ve worked out the cause, you can start on the solution.
Combatting Large Deliveries
Reducing the size of a delivery is one of the best ways to combat an inbound bottleneck. Small and often deliveries reduce the incoming workload for your team and allow for a strategic approach.
Large deliveries can be appealing, as many suppliers offer pricebreaks for large orders. You can combat large deliveries by speaking to your supplier about call off agreements. Having a call-off agreement in place means you can often still benefit from price breaks, but not all items arrive at once.
Running lean where it counts
Keeping your inventory lean, such as by reducing consumables on hand, helps combat large deliveries and free up space in your warehouse.
A great example of this is how Springpack work with Oprema to supply packaging solutions.
Springpack’s next day delivery infrastructure enables Oprema to place orders as and when they need it. Using this strategy, Oprema never run out of their essential packaging products, but do not waste warehousing space on unneeded packing materials.
Learn more about our work with Oprema – click here to read our case study.
Late Deliveries
Making sure deliveries arrive on time, within a delivery window, is another great way to reduce bottlenecks and optimise your capacity. Whilst it sounds impossible to control things like late deliveries, there are things you can do:
World events:
You can keep an eye on world events – things like storms or changes to import procedures can hold your inbound deliveries up at the ports or on the sea. Being aware of these things can heklp you anticipate any late deliveries, and plan your inbound logistics strategy.
Communicate with suppliers:
Building supplier relationships is key. Strong supplier relationships with resilient supply chains, and a good track record for OTIF (On time, In full) deliveries are essential. You can evaluate supplier performance and raise any concerns about late deliveries with them.
Urgent Deliveries
Making sure deliveries arrive on time, within a delivery window, is another great way to reduce bottlenecks and optimise your capacity. Whilst it sounds impossible to control things like late deliveries, there are things you can do:
World events:
You can keep an eye on world events – things like storms or changes to import procedures can hold your inbound deliveries up at the ports or on the sea. Being aware of these things can heklp you anticipate any late deliveries, and plan your inbound logistics strategy.
Communicate with suppliers:
Building supplier relationships is key. Strong supplier relationships with resilient supply chains, and a good track record for OTIF (On time, In full) deliveries are essential. You can evaluate supplier performance and raise any concerns about late deliveries with them.
Processing Slowdowns
The biggest cause of a bottleneck? Slowdowns in processing.
Not having the right tools or people in place leads to reduced operational efficiency. Here are three key things to consider
Can manual tasks be automated?
There are many tasks within your warehouse that can be automated – for example, pallet wrapping.
Automated pallet wrapping machines, such as the Robopac or Noxon ranges, are a time and material-saving solution.
Pallet wrappers wrap the pallets using preset instructions. They ensure high tension on the wrap, reduce the amount of material is needed, and reduce the strain on operators.
Is your automation fast enough during peak?
Automation is great – though there are some times at peak – it just needs a helping hand.
Think of it like loading a dishwasher. We all know that a dishwasher is an effective way to wash dishes, because you are not taking the time to wash them – the machine does it for you, and you are free to do other things.
Sometimes, the dishwasher can’t quite fit the pans all in during it’s cycle, so you have two options. Wait for the cycle to finish, and load them into the next round, or wash the pan by hand whilst the dishwasher is running. It doesn’t mean you need another dishwasher if occasionally you need to wash a few things by hand – it’s about balance.
Automation is great, but when it works hand in hand with a manual process, even better.
If your automatic pallet wrap machine is causing a queue at peak times, and this queue is less than 40 pallets per day, including a manual pallet wrap dispenser could help you bust the bottleneck, without the need for another automated pallet wrap dispenser. However, if it is more than 50 pallets in the queue, you may need to add more automation.
Inbound bottlenecks don’t just slow down one stage of your operation, they create disruption across your entire business. From delayed production and missed shipping deadlines to inefficient use of warehouse space and unnecessary pressure on your teams, the impact can quickly add up.
The key to overcoming bottlenecks is understanding what’s causing them. Whether it’s oversized deliveries, unreliable inbound schedules, poor demand forecasting, or inefficient processing, identifying the root cause allows you to put the right solutions in place.
Smaller, more frequent deliveries, stronger supplier relationships, better forecasting, and the right balance of automation and manual processes can all play a role in keeping your inbound operations flowing smoothly.
However, many businesses struggle to pinpoint exactly where their bottlenecks are forming , or which changes will have the biggest impact.
That’s where Springpack’s Operational Packaging Review can help.
Our experts work with your team to assess your inbound processes, packaging materials, equipment, and workflows to identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce delays, and remove pressure points in your operation.
If inbound bottlenecks are slowing your business down, book an Operational Packaging Review with Springpack today and discover practical ways to streamline your inbound logistics and keep your warehouse moving.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to hit a bottleneck?
Hitting a bottleneck means that a stage in a process becomes overloaded and slows down the overall workflow. In a warehouse or logistics environment, this usually happens when more goods arrive or need processing than the team, equipment, or space can handle at that moment. As a result, items begin to queue up, progress slows, and other parts of the operation may have to wait until the backlog is cleared.
What does a bottleneck mean in business?
In business, a bottleneck refers to any point in a process where capacity is limited and restricts the overall output of the operation. This could occur in manufacturing, supply chain management, warehouse operations, or administration. Bottlenecks reduce efficiency, slow production or fulfilment, and can lead to missed deadlines, stock shortages, and increased operational costs.
What does it mean to remove bottlenecks?
Removing bottlenecks means identifying the stage in a process where work is being delayed and implementing changes to improve the flow of operations. This might involve adjusting delivery schedules, improving inventory management, increasing staffing levels, introducing automation, or reorganising workflows. The goal is to ensure that work moves smoothly through each stage without unnecessary delays or backlogs.
How would you resolve bottlenecks?
Resolving bottlenecks typically involves three key steps: identifying the cause, implementing improvements, and reviewing the results. Businesses can resolve bottlenecks by reducing delivery sizes, improving supplier communication, forecasting demand more accurately, and ensuring they have the right tools and equipment in place. In some cases, introducing automation or adjusting processes can significantly increase capacity and improve operational efficiency. Regularly reviewing performance helps ensure the solution continues to work as demand changes.
If you are interested in Packaging, Springpack are experts in the field. Our team of Packaging Experts have all of the answers to your packaging questions. Why not get in touch with us today?