Load Planning, Cartonization and Palletization Now Accessible in the Cloud

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MagicLogic load planning software is now available in the Cloud for customers. It is suitable for companies looking for a SaaS solution without any additional overhead on local IT resources. Customers who prefer to purchase licenses outright still, of course, have this option.
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Cube-IQ Web and BlackBox are both available as subscription-based services, securely hosted on our servers using Microsoft Azure. Logistics service providers, retailers and manufacturers can now plan loads efficiently, directly from the Cloud. Both applications give accurate results at lightning speed using our advanced algorithms.
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Cube-IQ Web – All the Same Functions of Cube-IQ

With Cube-IQ Web, our subscription holders can log into the service wherever they use their tablet, laptop or phone. Cube-IQ is renowned for covering more operational requirements than any other software. It can handle even the most complicated loading rules, allowing planners to choose the position and orientation of each item loaded into a container, railcar, truck or ULD.
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Cube-IQ optimizes loading into one or more containers, automatically selecting the correct-sized container for each load and ensuring more items are loaded every time. A built-in database ensures no other external software is required. The graphical user interface allows load planners to edit loads on the fly, step through loading plans, and view them from any angle, thanks to a powerful graphics engine. Frequently used recipes can be saved for future calculations.
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Many trucking companies fall foul of strict laws on axle weights. Cube-IQ ensures all axle weights are accurately calculated, so loads are safe and legal. Other options include loading in a pick or drop sequence, and the software can easily handle split-level trucks or trailers.
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BlackBox – Cartonization

Many companies still struggle with items packed and shipped in incorrectly sized cartons, wasting cardboard and using excess dunnage, and significantly increasing shipping costs. Our cartonization software eliminates this problem, using item dimensions and weights to select the optimally sized carton in near real-time, ensuring this solution is ideal for eCommerce. Warehouse staff receive clear loading plans, and the software is also suitable for use with robotic pack stations. Customers receive perfectly packaged goods with only enough fill material to protect the items and ensure they arrive in immaculate condition, so returns are minimized due to damages.
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BlackBox works behind the scenes and is specifically designed to integrate easily with all WMS/ERP systems using industry-standard APIs.
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BlackBox – Palletization

True mixed palletization is tricky to achieve, and BlackBox has a separate optimization engine developed specifically for this purpose. Solutions include complex mixed-case pallet stacking and palletization for manual or robotic pack stations. Our software ensures your pallets are loaded accurately, calculating cartons’ strength and crush resistance and ensuring only lighter items are placed on top. BlackBox ensures no cartons or items overhang the pallets or the layers underneath, based on the item’s precise weight and dimensions. Hence, pallets are stable, can be wrapped securely, and are ready for shipping or warehouse storage.
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Easy integration and software training ensures Cube-IQ or Blackbox is ready to use quickly. With a subscription, your company starts saving money from day one with minimal initial outlay. Subscription prices are tailored to meet the demand of each company and can be scaled up as your business grows. Interested? Contact us for more information and a software demonstration.

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How to Read a Box Certificate for Secure Shipping

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Customers take it for granted that their items will arrive properly packaged and, most importantly, in the right box. However, choosing the correct box for every shipment relies on understanding the Box Certificate, or Box Manufacturer’s Certificate, found on the base of most cardboard boxes.

The certificate contains a wealth of information about the specifications of the box, relating to its size, construction, and weight limits. A Box Certificate will tell you if your chosen carton is adequate for shipping a specific order and can provide enough protection for the contents. So, what can you expect to learn from this certificate?

Box construction

The Box Certificate tells you how the box is constructed, for example, if it has a single, double or triple wall of corrugated board.
If you choose a single wall carton, it has a fluted medium inserted between two layers of liner board. In comparison, a carton with a double wall box has two fluted mediums between three liner boards. A triple walled carton has three fluted mediums held between four layers of liner board.

Box weight

The basis weight of the box is given as pounds per thousand square feet and relates directly to the strength of the box. A box with a higher basis weight has greater tensile strength.

Box strength

The box strength weighting relates to burst strength, which is the tensile and tearing strength and is given as pounds per square inch. The burst strength refers to how well the material can contain its contents when under stress. Strength weighting also measures the edge crush strength, which is the compressive strength is measured from top to bottom.

Boxes that need a greater burst strength require a greater basis weight. Boxes that need a better edge crush value will achieve this through the vertically oriented flutes of the corrugated cardboard, allowing manufacturers to lower the basis weight. As a rule of thumb, heavier or denser items need packaging with a greater burst strength, whereas items that need more protection against becoming crushed need a greater edge crush value.

Carton size

The size of the carton indicates the maximum outside dimensions of the completed box when you add together its length, width, and depth. Generally, as the box size increases, its contribution to overall strength decreases.

Gross weight

The gross weight listed on a carton indicates the maximum weight the carton can contain, but this doesn’t necessarily mean contents loaded up to the gross weight will arrive in perfect condition. This depends on several factors that include the product characteristics and the way it is transported.

Usually, the weight limits are more applicable for items that are palletized and which are transported in freight shipments as opposed to those shipped via smaller carriers.

Do I need a Box Certificate?

Determining whether you need a Box Certificate depends on the type of products you are shipping and the shipping methods you use. Consider the following key factors:

Product fragility: If you’re shipping fragile or expensive items, a certified box ensures that the packaging can handle the required protection during transit.

Shipment weight: Heavy items require boxes with higher weight capacity ratings, which are indicated on the Box Maker’s Certificate.

Shipping regulations: Certain industries, such as pharmaceuticals or food products, require certified boxes to meet regulatory standards.

Shipping volume: Businesses handling large-scale shipping operations benefit from using certified boxes to maintain consistency in packaging quality and reduce the risk of damage.

Environmental impact: If sustainability is a priority, using certified boxes ensures that you’re selecting packaging materials that comply with environmental standards.

How to read a Box Certificate

Understanding the information on a Box Maker’s Certificate can be essential for selecting the right packaging. This guide will help you interpret the main sections of the certificate:

Box type: Identifies the type of box, such as single-wall or double-wall, indicating the strength of the box.

ECT/Burst rating: Specifies the compression or burst resistance of the box, helping you select boxes that meet your specific needs.

Manufacturer details: Includes information about the manufacturer to confirm the box’s source and quality.

Box grade: Provides a numeric or letter grade that reflects the quality of the corrugated material.

Selecting the optimal carton

When it comes to excellent cartonization, you can rely on MagicLogic’s BlackBox. The main features of this clever, easy-to-integrate software include cartonization and mixed palletization. The best boxes are selected from your stock order after order, providing near real-time responses that are ideal for use during checkout in e-fulfilment. It supports complex mixed pallet stacking, including robotics, ensuring delicate items are never crushed.‍

Contact us to discover how BlackBox will streamline your cartonization and palletization processes.

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Parcel Shippers Facing a Challenging Market

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Over the past few years, the parcel shipping industry has changed unimaginably. The arrival of COVID, lockdowns, and stimulus cash led to an online shopping boom in every possible sector. E-commerce levels increased substantially, placing the supply chains under considerable strain. Nowadays, even though people can shop at brick-and-mortar stores and shopping malls, their shopping habits have changed, possibly for good, as they have discovered the ease of shopping online and having items delivered to their door. While parcel carriers are enjoying increased earnings and growth, the picture isn’t entirely rosy.

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Current Problems Facing Shippers

Challenges include rising inflation and interest rates, increased living costs, and record-breaking gas prices. The supply chains still aren’t back to normal, with long waits for numerous everyday items remaining very common. Problems are exacerbated by increased COVID cases in China, resulting in a lockdown of many ports and a subsequent delay in shipping. There is also the worry that as fall approaches, an increase of COVID cases in North America could disrupt the supply chain further, particularly if it starts impacting warehouse workers and others who help ensure parcels are packed and dispatched efficiently.

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Forcing a More Innovative Approach to Shipping Parcels

Despite these problems, shippers are finding innovative ways to help keep supply chains moving and hopefully continue to enjoy the growth they have seen in this industry. However, everyone seems to agree that shipping rates will increase and that the fuel surcharges are here to stay for the foreseeable future. As a result, shippers are doing everything they can to avoid awkwardly shaped or ugly shipments that are trickier and more expensive to package and transport. One problem is that a large and ugly shipment can mean there is little or no room left for smaller parcels. As a result, parcel carriers are trying to ensure that bigger and bulkier shipments can generate the same revenue as the smaller parcels that are much easier to pack and ship efficiently.

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Another way shippers are addressing these concerns is by trying to forecast their need for containers, railcars, and ULDs more accurately, maximizing every cubic foot of space. They are increasingly turning to technology to ensure loads are packed correctly and accurately and are directing resources to areas where they can realize the highest returns.

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Excessive packaging remains a concern, with shippers often cubing out a load well before they reach anything approaching maximum weight. This is due to products being packed inefficiently, wasting expensive space and packaging materials, and shipping capacity.
Staffing problems are still a major issue throughout the supply chain. Even when new staff are hired, retaining them isn’t easy. Churn can frequently mean companies must spend precious resources on hiring and training staff who then leave within a short while. The cost of hiring warehouse workers and other skilled staff has increased but persuading customers to accept higher prices isn’t easy.

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Facing the Challenge

MagicLogic has over a quarter of a century of experience helping companies ship products more economically and safely. Over the years, we have helped thousands of companies worldwide achieve substantial savings on shipping costs. Our software minimizes expensive ‘dead’ space in cartons and trucks, shipping containers, railcars, and ULDs.

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How We Can Help

Our innovative software solutions optimize loads efficiently, accurately, and safely, whether you are a small company shipping only a few containers each month or a large multinational shipping thousands of parcels worldwide every day of the year. Our solutions are easily scalable and can grow with your company as you expand your business. We have considerable experience in packing ‘ugly’ or oddly shaped loads more cost-effectively, for example, when shipping furniture or perishable goods. We also offer custom solutions for many industries that have specific packing requirements.

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Planning Your Loads More Efficiently with Cube-IQ

Cube-IQ is an affordable load optimization program. It allows companies to plan loads efficiently, making it easier to predict the need for specific-sized containers weeks or months in advance so they can be ordered well ahead of time. Our intuitive loading rules meet even the strictest requirements, such as axle weights, while ensuring loads are packed securely and stably and arrive in perfect condition. Our load optimization software optimizes fill rates, and we were among the first to introduce a drag-and-drop graphical user interface that is easy and intuitive. Step through the loading plans, print them out, or send them to your warehouse team for accurate and faster packing.

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The software helps reduce the need for costly fill materials and avoids shipping empty and very expensive space. It is also perfect for companies seeking to achieve greener credentials.

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We have deliberately designed a user interface that immediately looks familiar, and with our expert training, we can get people up and running competently within an hour. We offer an excellent support contract to ensure your load planning continues to run smoothly, year after year. You won’t need to worry if your load planner retires or churn because we can ensure their replacement is soon up to speed.

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High-Speed Cartonization and Palletization with BlackBox

Our Windows-based service integrates quickly and easily with any existing or new ERP/WMS. Our experienced integrators can ensure it is up and running in a few days. It is ideal for e-commerce, providing optimal carton selection in real-time so that shipping prices can be calculated at checkout.
Customers requiring palletization will find no better product on the market. We can actually do true mixed case palletization and do it well. BlackBox supports manual and robotic pack stations.

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Put Us to the Test

If better load optimization software is on your shopping list, we invite you to put us to the test. We offer a free evaluation of our products, and our experienced project managers can help you set up test loads and demonstrate the product to you and your team.
Contact us for more information and take the first step toward better load optimization today.

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Organize Your Shipping Systems With Palletization Software

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Palletization software is a vital part of supply chain operations and is designed to help with the process of placing items to be shipped onto pallets. The software automates what has historically been a manual and time-consuming task, ensuring that goods are arranged efficiently and securely on pallets to maximize space, reduce the risk of damage, and improve overall handling.

What is palletization

Palletization is the process of stacking goods or materials onto a pallet, a flat structure designed to support and stabilize them during storage and transportation. The main purpose of pallet building software is to organize the handling, storage, and movement of goods, making them easier to transport by forklifts, trucks, and other machinery. When pallets were originally introduced, the impact on material handling was dramatic.

Benefits of palletization

Faster delivery

Using pallets as a base for goods allows them to be loaded and unloaded far more quickly and efficiently, saving hours of human resources, reducing labor costs, and enabling a faster turnaround and transportation of products.

More efficient handling

Operators can insert and remove pallets more effectively, as handling equipment can stack products, reducing the number of movements required.

Lower labor costs

Labor requirements are reduced dramatically with palletization. Moving fully loaded pallets allows warehouse workers to move a greater volume of goods during each shift.

Protection of perishable goods

Palletization is particularly important for perishable goods that must be kept refrigerated. Using pallets allows these goods to be moved more quickly across unrefrigerated areas, and they can be loaded and unloaded more quickly.

Lower risk of damaged goods and freight loss

Proper palletization reduces damage to goods, protecting items and ensuring that products remain in perfect condition until the pallet is unloaded and ready for the next part of the supply chain. Items secured on pallets are bound together with plastic wrap, strapping, or both, so the chance of items falling off are low.

Warehouse staff safety

When items are palletized correctly, the pallet is stable, reducing the chance of injury to workers.

Warehouse storage optimization

Material handling is more efficient, enabling better optimization of warehouse storage, since one key factor in optimizing transportation is stackability.

Better inventory control

Palletizing loads enables better inventory control, as it is easier to monitor each SKU. Logistics managers can gauge a product’s stock level at a glance since they will know the number of products stored on each pallet.

Versatility

Usually, goods loaded onto pallets are stacked on top of one another in columns, resting directly on the item below. However, load strength and stability considerably increase when pallets are loaded in an interlocking pattern. Achieving the best loading pattern is not easy. Additionally, some goods are not suitable for palletization. These include long and thin items or irregularly shaped items that will not stack easily.

Choosing the best way to palletize

pallet loading

You can choose from a variety of palletization methods, as long as you keep stability in mind. The following tips will improve your palletization process:

  • Use cartons or boxes: Opt for regular-shaped cartons or boxes to ensure goods can be neatly stacked, resulting in more even loading.
  • Fill to max capacity: Pack the boxes as full as possible within weight and size limits.
  • Ensure even stacking: Avoid uneven stacking or bulging loads to maintain stability, and be sure to distribute items on the pallet evenly by weight.
  • Create a compact structure: Aim for a compact and uniform load structure for enhanced stability, without any items extending past the pallet base.
  • Wrap the load with transparent film: Secure the load by wrapping it in transparent film to protect the goods and keep them together.
  • Use strapping for additional  security: Consider using strapping to further secure the load and bind the goods together.

Consider pallet characteristics

Pallets are available in several standard sizes, helping optimize supply chain operations. A standard pallet is 40 x 48 x 5 inches, and most shipping companies base their freight charges on pallet volume. Using pallets can add 20% – 30% volume to a shipment, so proper optimization is essential to ensure the pallets achieve maximum volume. Most companies use standard-sized boxes that are easier to stack without wasting space, but this isn’t possible for every order.

Pallets can be made from different materials, depending on the goods to be shipped. These include pallets made from wood, metal, or plastic. Pallets can also be selected according to the storage systems available in the warehouse, the handling equipment that can be manual or automatic, and facilities available at supplier locations.

Using blackbox logistics pallet loading software

MagicLogic BlackBox software includes a separate optimization engine developed specifically for palletization, including complex mixed-case pallet stacking. Our palletizing software can build layers and semi-layers. It can also automatically switch to free stacking when required. The main aim of our palletization engine is to achieve excellent pallet stability, maximum fill quality, and maximum load stability. It supports manual pack stations and robotics.

These days, more companies are choosing to automate or semi-automate their logistics operations, and BlackBox can provide packing sequences suitable for robotics. Robotics is especially useful for packaging pharmaceutical goods and the food industry, ensuring goods remain clean and hygienic during palletization.

Our BlackBox palletization software includes configurable parameters for different end-of-arm tools and approach points, allowing users to achieve true mixed case robotized palletization. Our R&D team spent considerable time solving this difficult problem effectively and is rightly proud of this achievement.

Easy to integrate with your WMS/TMS

We designed our BlackBox to be configured to work with any system that generates data to a standard schema, using powerful APIs that ensure system integrators will be up and running within a few days.

Custom solutions available

Over half of our business focuses on providing custom solutions to meet customers’ specific requirements. Many of our customers need to ship products that must be packed in a certain way to ensure they arrive in perfect condition and are accepted by the end-user. We specialize in finding solutions for tricky problems using our decades of experience and knowledge gained within the supply chain industry. For more information you can reach out to our customer success team.

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20 Years in the Top 100

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MagicLogic Optimization Inc. Selected as 2022 Top 100 Logistics IT Provider – Our 20th Consecutive Year Receiving This Award

We were recently thrilled to learn that MagicLogic Optimization has yet again been selected as an Inbound Logistics Top 100 Logistics IT Provider for 2022. This marks our 20th consecutive year receiving this honor. We never take this award for granted and are always proud to display the latest Top 100 badge on our website and in all communications with customers.

Inbound Logistics editors recognize 100 logistics IT companies that support and enable logistics excellence. Drawn from a pool of more than 300 companies, using questionnaires, phone calls, personal interviews, and other research, Inbound Logistics selects the Top 100 Logistics IT Providers who are leading the way to efficiency for 2023. Editors seek to match readers’ fast-changing needs to the capabilities of those companies selected.  All companies selected reflect leadership by answering Inbound Logistics readers’ needs for simplicity, flexible pricing, ROI, and frictionless implementation.

Felecia Stratton, Inbound Logistics Editor, explains: “Every April for the past 24 years, Inbound Logistics editors have selected 100 logistics technology companies that enable logistics and supply chain excellence. MagicLogic Optimization was recognized by Inbound Logistics for leading the way in 2022 and positioning enterprises for the years ahead. MagicLogic excels at providing solutions that drive supply chain excellence and answer IL readers’ need for simplicity, ROI, and frictionless implementation. Inbound Logistics is proud to honor MagicLogic for continuing to offer our readers solutions that optimize logistics and supply chain excellence.”

Supply chains worldwide have continued to be under unprecedented pressure over the past two years. These are compounded further by rising fuel costs and the rising prices of essential commodities, coupled with continuing labor shortages and with no end in sight. MagicLogic provides a suite of software solutions to ensure products are loaded more efficiently and safely, so they can arrive in pristine condition. Our innovative software solutions are designed to be intuitive, and even an inexperienced user will be up and running within just an hour or so with our tuition.

Felecia Stratton elaborates further on how they selected MagicLogic. “Implementing the best logistics technology helps large companies expand markets and drive undiscovered efficiencies. World-class solutions such as MagicLogic Optimization are force equalizers for SMEs by leveling the playing field with their larger competitors. Best-in-class logistics IT also helps today’s business logistics managers boost supply chain performance and customer service while cutting overall logistics costs. Inbound Logistics editors selected MagicLogic for its consistent ability to deliver innovative solutions empowering logistics and supply chain excellence for companies large and small.”

About Inbound Logistics

Inbound Logistics is the pioneering magazine empowering demand-driven enterprises. IL’s educational mission is to guide businesses to efficiently manage logistics, reduce and speed inventory, and neutralize transportation cost increases by aligning supply to demand and adjusting enterprise functions to support that paradigm shift. More information about demand-driven logistics practices is available at www.inboundlogistics.com

About Our Load Optimization Software

MagicLogic provides load optimization solutions for all sized companies, including those who might only load a few containers a month, right up to multinationals shipping thousands of orders each day.

Our products include Cube-IQ Load Optimization software and Cube-IQ Web, our subscription service allowing users to access our software from their tablet, browser, or smartphone no matter where they are. As workplace flexibility looks set to stay, our web version is becoming increasingly popular.

BlackBox is our flagship product, handling complex Cartonization and palletization with ease, including true robot palletization. BlackBox integrates seamlessly with any WMS/ERP system and can be up and running within a short while. We also offer industry-specific solutions tailored to accommodate unique requirements or can customize our software to suit the needs of the client. Contact us to learn more about our software solutions.

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Answers to 15 Common Load Optimization Problems

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1. Our shipping costs are too high, and containers/pallets are never properly filled.

MagicLogic specializes in high-efficiency pallet and container optimization. From railcars to trucks to pallets to ULDs and small parcels. Typical savings are in the 5-20% range and are easily calculated and tracked.

2. We get fined and turned around because our trucks are too heavy or improperly balanced.

Our software can calculate loads taking into account weight distribution front/back and left/right, and can also balance weight across axles, meeting all state regulations and avoiding those pesky fines that mount up so quickly.

3. Our products arrive damaged due to poor loading, resulting in high returns.

Poorly loaded products are the leading cause of damage during transit, as is a lack of support, bracing, and dunnage. As a result, approximately 1 in 10 eCommerce packages arrive damaged, significantly impacting the bottom line. Our customizable loading rules ensure products are loaded according to specified orientation, stacking, etc., ensuring even fragile items are protected and arrive in perfect condition.

4. We rely heavily on tribal knowledge for our loading – what happens when that person leaves or retires?

Our software removes the risk of tribal knowledge by installing an easy-to-use system that will provide consistent results no matter who uses it, and if someone leaves or you take on new staff, we can provide staff training. With the proper training, we can get them up to speed in just an hour or so.

5. We have a high staff turnover – it’s taking too long to train them how to load properly.

Churn/inexperienced staff who don’t have a clue how to load or stack safely and effectively are trained quickly to use Cube-IQ. Our software is deliberately designed to be intuitive to use, with a loading screen that already looks and feels like an Excel document. With the help of our support team, we can get even the most inexperienced user loading like a pro within a couple of hours at most.

6. We have no idea if our guys are loading products correctly.

With our software, anyone can read the easy-to-follow loading plans. They show step by step how a container needs to be loaded, ensuring it is cubed out correctly and items arrive in perfect condition.

7. We need to automate – we receive thousands of orders daily and need something to tell our team how to pack fast.

Our loading programs can process orders in near real-time, telling packers which carton to use and how to pack items leaving minimum void space.

8. Our new or existing WMS or ERP system is giving poor results- we think we can do better

MagicLogic software integrates seamlessly with new and existing WMS and ERP systems. Often these systems only include a loading program as an add-on, realizing that many users will not utilize it. In comparison, we do nothing but loading software and have dedicated the last quarter of a century to developing our loading software and are still refining and improving it.

9. We have difficulty finding software to meet our unique constraints or requirements.

Our loading rules are fully customizable to meet even the most exacting requirements, ensuring every load is fully compliant and safe. For example, do you have fragile items that can only be packed on top? No problem! Simply specify that in the loading rules. The same goes for other awkward to load items that perhaps can only be loaded in one orientation. Our comprehensive loading rules cover most operational requirements, but if you need something customized we can also customize rules to suit.

10. Our company policy is to become greener – we need to reduce our carbon footprint.

We have all been in that situation where we have received items in oversized cartons, packaged with excessive dunnage to prevent them from moving around during transportation. Our software utilizes the dimensions and weight of items to select the right sized carton, order after order, minimizing fill material while still ensuring items arrive perfectly presented and packaged for the customer.

11. How can we select containers or cartons more efficiently?

Our loading software automatically selects the right containers or cartons for orders. So you don’t need to worry about selecting them or that they won’t be filled correctly. You can even have additional fill items packed to cube out a load when necessary, avoiding paying for empty space in an expensive container.

12. We need to quote shipping costs more quickly.

Once our software receives the order, it immediately calculates the best-sized carton for each order and the shipping costs. It is perfect for busy eCommerce sites.

13. We are struggling with HAZMAT / Li-ion shipping rules.

HAZMAT and Liion shipping rules are complicated, but Cube-IQ handles them with ease. Our customizable loading rules ensure all hazardous or combustible products are loaded safely, so once packed, then you can ship with confidence; there is no need to check or repack cartons.

14. Our guy spends hours each day planning shipments.

Planning intricate and large loads is time-consuming, even for experienced planners. With our software, all items, their dimensions, and their weight are already imported into the program. It is simply a matter of selecting items and the number required, and the load optimization software does the rest, saving hours of labor costs and packing loads more efficiently. You can even save popular load plans for reuse.

15. We need to order containers well in advance, but it is taking too long to plan loads.

Many of our customers plan loads months ahead, using our software, so they know exactly how many containers of each size to order. With the recent increase in shipping costs, these calculations are even more important than before and ensure customers receive products when expected.Do these problems sound familiar? Contact us to discover more about our load optimization solutions and an online demo.

Accelerating eCommerce Driving Demand for Greener Packaging

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Environmentalists have been urging everyone to choose greener and more sustainable options for a long while, but the increased demand for eCommerce over the past few months has seen their voice grow in stature.
Since Covid-19, consumers have become increasingly sensitive toward packaging. Excess packaging is difficult and cumbersome to recycle, and manufacturers and consumers are increasingly asking for more renewable materials, reflecting the growing aversion toward single-use plastics globally.

Many companies have already risen to the challenge by adopting more sustainable packaging practices and eliminating the need for unnecessary fill material. By ensuring they send out a product in the proper size container, these companies increase customer satisfaction while helping the environment.

Adopting More Environmentally Friendly Packaging Solutions

Usually, eCommerce companies will have a limited range of boxes, adapting these to fit whatever needs packaging. Consequently, they often need substantial filler material such as packing peanuts, paper or plastic. But it is a solution that is becoming increasingly outdated. Nowadays, more companies are using software to pick the right size of the carton for the order.

Choosing the right size carton reduces the need for corrugated cardboard and reduces the filler used to package the item. Also, choosing the correct sized cartons makes the best use of warehouse space and space on the delivery truck. Overall, the company’s carbon footprint size reduces. Using the proper size of the box helps to ensure the product arrives in perfect condition. When a product is packed into an oversized box, it can arrive damaged, increasing costs and resulting in unhappy and dissatisfied customers.

When plastic is needed as packing material, solutions are available, and which help promote recycling. Some companies are now using reusable packing materials and are looking into innovative ways to repurpose plastic waste materials. Companies that use repurposed or recycled content are seen as greener by consumers, something that helps to increase the feel-good aspect of buying a product.

More consumers are demanding companies become more sustainable, without wishing to lose the convenience of ever-faster delivery times, which is where our software can help.

High-Speed Cartonization with BlackBox

Our BlackBox software is the result of years of R&D, cumulating in a list of features that make the system an integrator’s dream. It includes our state-of-the-art loading algorithm, ensuring the best carton is selected from your stock, order after order in near real-time. A lightning-fast response means BlackBox is ideal for use during checkout and pick carton selection and fulfilment. The software uses true 3-D placement of every item, ensuring an optimal solution.

Because items are packed accurately, they are more likely to arrive in perfect condition without creating a cardboard mountain. Find out how BlackBox can help your eCommerce company achieve a lower carbon footprint, without compromising quality or delivery times by contacting us today.

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Air Freight Logistics: Loading ULDs Efficiently

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Air freight logistics has become more challenging over the past year. Like so many industries, it has needed to adapt rapidly to changing circumstances. While previously, much of the industry was B2B, it has increasingly become more business-to-consumer oriented. The freight industry has also needed to compensate for the loss of cargo space.

Previously, a lot of cargo was transported in passenger plane holds, but the decline in travel has led to commercial flight cancellations of around 50%. Airlines have adapted to the challenge, repurposing passenger planes to carry more freight. While some continued only to offer space in the hold, others have gone a step further, removing seats to carry more freight, but this means the freight must be packed directly into cartons rather than into Unit Load Devices or ULDs. Despite these adaptations, the lack of cargo space remains challenging, and air freight rates have increased significantly in response.

With increased freight costs, the need to optimize loads correctly and safely is even greater. MagicLogic has years of experience in air freight logistics, optimizing ULDs efficiently and safely, saving time and money.

Optimizing ULDs

ULDs are exceptionally tricky to load efficiently, as there are numerous variations in sizes and shapes; they are not rectangular and have cut-off corners or ceilings. The shape depends on where the ULD is to be loaded in the plane and the type of aircraft. Then there is the actual load to consider. Some cargo is pre-loaded into cartons or boxes, while other loads need to be built on open pallets. These pallets must be built to fit the contour of a specific ULD. Once built, they are secured in place by a net fitted around the rim of the pallet.

Following Loading Rules

If cartons are used, our software ensures they are packed correctly, protecting the cargo and ensuring it arrives in perfect condition. When pallets are loaded, it is important to ensure the weight of the cargo is not concentrated on a single pallet. Accurate load spreading is essential in making it easier to load the ULD, and to help balance the aircraft.

MagicLogic load optimization software follows the strictest and most complex loading rules, ensuring pallets or cartons are loaded safely and stably. Loading rules are fully customizable, including the orientation of each item and its allowed location in a load. This ensures a delicate item is never loaded on the bottom and that goods that require specialized handling are packed correctly. The software calculates an optimized pallet or carton’s weight, ensuring it does not exceed safe levels.

As the pandemic begins to ease with the introduction of vaccines, the airline industry will gradually return to normal, and the number of flights for passengers and cargo will increase. However, it could leave behind some fundamental changes to shopping habits. People have become accustomed to the convenience of purchasing goods online, changing air freight logistics for good.

Choosing the Best Load Optimization Software

Companies with limited loading of ULDs can use our Cube-IQ® software program. Those companies who routinely send large amounts of sir freight will benefit from our BlackBox® optimizer, which provides high-speed Cartonization and advanced mixed-palletization.

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Keeping Up with the Boom in eCommerce

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Anyone who ordered gifts for the recent holidays will know the supply chains are under severe strain at the moment, and many packages failed to arrive on time. While eCommerce has grown significantly over the past few years, there is nothing like a pandemic to bring this into sharper focus. With increasing numbers of people forced to shop online for the foreseeable future, businesses need to adopt a more digitized platform to reach customers successfully, a transformation that is not without its challenges.

Ensuring a Timely Delivery

Customers expect orders to arrive quickly, and a strong eCommerce platform is needed to accomplish this, including excellent logistics support. Good load planning software can make sure a load is packed more accurately, so items to be delivered first are easily accessible.

Reducing Shipping Charges

Paying zero delivery fees or only a minimal charge is becoming the norm, even while customers expect faster delivery times. However, shipping costs have increased, and offering free shipping can eat into the bottom line significantly. Some companies will offer free shipping as standard for orders over a certain threshold, but making sure orders are packaged correctly can greatly reduce shipping costs, using appropriately sized cartons and less costly fill material. The most sophisticated Cartonization software in eCommerce can select the correct carton and calculate shipping costs almost in real-time.

Another option is to include shipping in the price and include any custom fees for international shipments. The order can clear customs more quickly, and customers receive their order more promptly and without the fear of paying unknown customs costs.

Reverse Logistics

It is important to consider reverse logistics and to decide if customers are responsible for the cost of returns or how to reduce these costs. One option is to use 3PL partners with their own warehouses and logistics operations. Otherwise, one way to reduce the number of returns is by ensuring each order is handled properly. When an order is correctly picked and packed, not only are shipping costs reduced, but the risk of damage to these items is also lower.

The Importance of Using the Right Logistics Software

MagicLogic load planning software is developed in-house with one goal in mind; to provide companies with the most powerful load planning software available today. Cube-IQ® is our state-of-the-art load planning software program. It is intuitive to use and has a complete database engine built-in. Our BlackBox® optimizer provides Cartonization for eFulfillment and Mixed Palletization using robotics. It optimizes carton selection, order after order.

Our software solutions are helping companies to increase efficiency and save time and money every day. Read our recent case study for True Manufacturing to learn more.

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MagicLogic Optimization Inc. Selected as 2021 Top 100 Logistics IT Provider

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We are delighted to announce the editorial team at Inbound Logistics has selected MagicLogic Optimization Inc. as a Top 100 Logistics IT Provider for 2021. This marks the nineteenth consecutive year MagicLogic has been chosen for this honor. Each year, we proudly display our Top 100 badge on communications with customers and on our website.

Every April, Inbound Logistics selects the Top 100 Logistics IT Providers who are leading the way in 2021. The editors make their selection using research, questionnaires, and personal interviews from a pool of more than 400 companies.

Felecia Stratton, Editor of Inbound Logistics, elaborates on how they choose the Top 100: “When choosing the 2021 Top 100 Logistics IT Providers, Inbound Logistics editors looked at excellence in optimizing supply chain, logistics, and transportation operations. Strategically, editors make their selections based on how transformative solutions impact those business activities driving integration across internal and external business processes. MagicLogic Optimization Inc. was selected because its solutions solve specific logistics challenges and improve processes, and create a ripple effect of enterprise efficiencies across the entire value chain.”

The past year has tested the strength of supply chains like never before. MagicLogic has risen to the challenge. Our team continues to solve complex logistical problems and customize our software solutions to meet the current demands and are an important part of the supply chain for many top-tier companies.

Felecia Stratton explains further how these problems have affected companies: ”The business disruptions of the past year remind businesses to focus like a laser beam on improving enterprise operations through investments in technology. The challenges are many and are now top of mind. Improving end-to-end visibility, achieving closer integration with value chain partners, finding efficient sources of transport lift, nailing down chain of custody and sustainability concerns to limit liability, inventory scalability have clearly become survival issues for many. MagicLogic was selected as a Top 100 Logistics IT Provider because its solutions address these critical needs and help companies move along the continuum to truly becoming demand driven enterprises.”

MagicLogic provides loading software designed to grow with companies, loading more and ensuring orders arrive in pristine condition. It is increasingly likely that the challenges presented by COVID-19 will change consumers’ shopping habits for good. While B2B growth remains strong, there is a continuing need for B2C solutions. Our flagship product, BlackBoxTM, integrates seamlessly with any WMS/EMS system and handles Cartonization and palletization, and ensures the correct cartons are selected for online orders in near real-time, minimizing fill material and reducing shipping costs.

About Inbound Logistics

Since its inception in 1981, Inbound Logistics’ educational mission is to illustrate the benefits of demand-driven logistics practices, give companies the knowledge to help them match the inbound flow of materials to their demand, and align their business process to support that shift. Inbound Logistics offers real-world examples and decision support to guide businesses to efficiently manage logistics, reduce and speed inventory, offset rising transport costs, and balance transport needs with demand, supporting business scalability across their value chain. More information about demand-driven logistics practices is available at www.inboundlogistics.com

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