The Future of Packaging: Exploring Sustainable Paper Packaging Solutions

tensionapdev on May 17, 2023

Paper packaging offers an eco-friendly solution that meets growing consumer demand for sustainability, with 87% of people preferring paper-based options. Its renewability, biodegradability, and recyclability make it a versatile and effective alternative to plastic packaging. Partnering with Tension Packaging & Automation ensures access to expertly designed sustainable paper packaging solutions backed by over a century of experience.

In our previous post, we explored how polybags can be considered a sustainable choice in packaging consumables. Now, let’s turn our attention to sustainable paper packaging and an environmentally friendly and effective packaging alternative.

How Paper Can Be an Effective Packaging Solution

Sustainable packaging ensures environmentally friendly materials and practices utilize packaging solutions that have minimal impact on the environment. Adapting to consumer demands for “green” products, companies are turning to sustainable packaging alternatives that aim to reduce waste and pollution.

Recent polls have uncovered shifts and expectations in consumer preference for sustainable packaging:

Given its versatility, paper can be an effective solution for sustainable packaging due to its eco-friendly traits like renewability, biodegradability, and recyclability.

Paper Recycling and Certification Requirements

While widely assumed as recyclable, not all paper packaging qualifies as recyclable. Third-party tests – such as the 4Evergreen or Fibre Box Association (FBA) voluntary standard tests, which can qualify paper as certified recyclable.

FBA Parts 1 and 2

FBA features two levels of testing: Part 1 tests for paper repulpability (ability to dissolve in water) and Part 2 tests for paper recyclability.

FBA Part 1, Repulpability Testing

FBA Part 1 involves a pass or fail test to determine the fiber yield to see if the paper can be repulped into another product (i.e., if the fiber is available for recycling).

For example, paper packaging that contains an adhesive as a sealant to close the package can be tested for repulpability. If the repulpability score is very high during the tests, it means the adhesive is released from the paper fiber and is available for recycling into another product. However, if the repulbability score is low and the paper fails the tests, it means the adhesive is too aggressive and doesn’t release enough from the fiber to qualify as repulpable. Utilizing eco-friendly adhesives is an ideal solution for sustainable paper packaging as they are soluble in water and ensures a clean re-pulping process.

FBA Part 2, Recyclability Testing

The FBA Part 2 recyclability test, also a pass or fail test, is a longer and more rigorous test than the FBA Part 1 for Repulpability. FBA Part 2 gauges the paper’s strength and optical and surface properties to determine if the fiber is good for reuse in paper/paperboard.

Western Michigan University (WMU) offers the FBA parts 1 and 2 paper repulbability and recyclability testing and certification program. In addition, WMU is a partner organization of the How2Recycle program. Paper packaging that successfully passes parts 1 and 2 of the FBA tests from WMU qualify for use of the How2Recycle logo.

Paper Packaging: A Durable Packaging Choice

In addition to caring for the environment, a sustainable paper package can protect the goods it carries throughout the supply chain. Creating a paper package that is sturdy enough to withstand the rigors of the shipping process includes both tests and coatings to protect it from its environment.

Paper is Strong

Do you ever wonder how your mail or packages stay intact during transit? The secret lies in the paper’s composition. Tests like ISTA 6 Flexible SIOC and TAPPI 403 Burst strength can determine just how strong a package’s paper really is. To increase its strength, some packages feature heavier paper basis weights, or even a 2-ply layer composition.

Want to protect your package from moisture or weather during delivery? Consider a water-based coating that’s both recyclable and durable. With these techniques, you can rest assured your paper packaging is up to the challenges (and weather) posed by the supply chain.

Contact Us

Partnering with Tension Packaging & Automation for sustainable paper packaging solutions can be a smart choice for your business. Why? We. Know. Paper: Our parent company, Tension Corporation, was established in 1886 and is the second-largest national envelope manufacturer in the U.S.

We have deep, strong relationships with large paper mills, and through these partnerships we can help supply your sustainable paper packaging needs. Our team is well-versed in paper composition, features, specifications, and coatings best suited for packaging applications. Contact us today to get the conversation started.

Sustainable Packaging Materials 101 Part 1: Sustainable Polybag Solutions

tensionapdev on March 15, 2023

Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) companies are under pressure to adopt sustainable packaging strategies, including reducing, reusing, recycling, reformatting, and renewing packaging materials. Polybags, despite being plastic, can support these efforts through right-sizing, using recycled content, and leveraging biodegradable or compostable materials. Tension Packaging & Automation is committed to helping businesses achieve their sustainability goals with innovative packaging solutions tailored to eCommerce and pharmacy needs.

In October 2018, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a global nonprofit committed to creating a circular economy, set out clear, urgent actions for businesses and governments to take to eliminate plastic and outlined ambitious targets for reducing virgin plastic use by 2025. By November 2022, a New Plastics Economy Global Commitment progress report indicated this commitment to use only reusable, recyclable or compostable plastic packaging would not likely be met by 2025, resulting in the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s placing a fresh-acceleration spotlight on businesses urging them to create credible, ambitious plans to scale reuse, deal with the issue of flexible packaging and reduce the need for single-use packaging. 

The heat is on for Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) companies to source sustainable packaging solutions. A recent report by the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI), Packaging Sustainability: A Changing Landscape, details how CPG’s sustainable packaging strategies include: 

  • Reducing – Minimizing packaging to reduce waste. 
  • Reusing – Implementing reusable packaging. 
  • Recycling – Designing recyclable packaging. 
  • Reformatting – Redesigning packaging using more sustainable materials. 
  • Renewing – Choosing renewable-sourced materials. 

Plastic Packaging: A Sustainable Option 

Polyethylene is one of the most widely used plastics in the world. A bag made with polyethylene, or a polybag, is widely used in the packaging industry due to its durable, pliable and protective qualities. Despite being a plastic product, a polybag can still be considered as a sustainable packaging alternative – especially when the following CPG sustainable packaging strategies are considered: 

Reducing: Minimizing Packaging to Reduce Waste

Options to reduce the amount of poly used in a package includes right-sizing bags or using thinner or “downgauged” packaging such as Linear-Low Density Polyethylene (L-LDPE). 

L-LDPE refers to the type of resin that makes up the plastic in the polybag. L-LDPE is popular for its strength, impact resistance and puncture resistance. L-LDPE is tough, boasting a higher tensile strength than regular low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and this allows L-LDPE to consist of thinner films without compromising the strength of the material, making it an ideal substrate for packaging applications.  

Reusing: Implementing Reusable Packaging

Two-way packages are popular in the apparel segment where returns and exchanges are highly-likely. Shippers who provide a perforation and double-adhesive strip on the initial package — enabling it to double as a return vessel if needed — creates an opportunity for that package to extend beyond single use.  

Recycling: Designing Recyclable Packaging

Did you know polybags can be recycled as a low-density polyethylene or number 4 plastic? Nearly 10,000 retailers and grocers nationwide accept number 4 plastics (e.g., polybags) for recycling. For more information, or to find a number 4 plastic recycling facility in your area, consult the resources at How2Recycle.    

Reformatting: Redesigning Packaging Using More Sustainable Materials 

Polybags made with post-consumer resin (PCR) and/or post-industrial content (PIC) can protect your both products and the environment. The amount of PCR and/or PIC contained in a polybag is expressed in percentages, yet the percentage of PCR and/or PIC included in a package can vary greatly, depending on the specific intended application and end use for the bag. There is a limit to how much PCR and/or PIC a polybag can contain and still maintaining the desired strength, sealability and integrity. Testing is critical to determine the appropriate amount of PCR and/or PIC to be included in a polybag.    

Renewing: Choosing Renewable-sourced Materials 

Packages marked as “compostable” are biodegradable, meaning the packaging materials can break down into tiny pieces that can be safely digested by microorganisms. Biodegradable packaging can be made from bio-based and fossil-based polymers, and there are some petroleum-based plastics composed of weaker carbon chains that degrade efficiently and completely (e.g., polybutylene adipate terephthalate or PBAT, a fully biodegradable polymer) while maintaining the strength and flexibility that makes plastic packaging so attractive for packaging manufacturers. 

Paper Packaging: A Sustainable Option 

Looking for more sustainable packaging options? Stay tuned for part two of this post on paper packaging solutions. 

Contact Tension Packaging & Automation for Your Sustainable Packaging Needs 

Tension remains committed to sustainability, our customers and meeting their needs for sustainability in their business. We are passionate about helping our customers reach their sustainability goals through our sustainable packaging consumables and solutions for pharmacy and eCommerce and have options for sustainable polybags. Contact an expert today to get started. 

Nothing but Net: 5 Benefits of SLAM Systems in your eCommerce Warehouse

tensionapdev on February 7, 2023

SLAM (Scan, Label, Apply, Manifest) systems are powerful tools for eCommerce and warehouse operations, offering benefits like reduced labor costs, improved safety, and increased package throughput. By automating repetitive tasks, optimizing shipping rates, and consolidating workstations, SLAM systems streamline order fulfillment while boosting accuracy and efficiency. Tension Packaging & Automation provides tailored solutions to help you transform your operations into a cost-saving, high-performing success.

SLAM systems, or SCAN, LABEL, APPLY, MANIFEST systems, offer eCommerce order fulfillment centers and warehouses a means to reduce labor costs (in addition to several other benefits). 
 

Located in the last 100 feet of the order fulfillment process, a SLAM label applicator system can offer a variety of benefits to an eCommerce and order fulfillment center, warehouse or B2B shipping facility (including some that positively affect your bottom line or net profits!).

Automating Repetitive Tasks

A SLAM line can help optimize labor in your warehouse by automating many of the tasks associated with order fulfillment.

By automating repetitive labor tasks, your labor force is free to do job tasks that may be of greater interest to them – improving associate satisfaction and potentially team dynamics.

From a cost perspective, task automation can lead to reduced labor costs by a factor of four!

Improve Warehouse Safety

Automation can help improve safety in order fulfillment operations just by automating some of the repetitive tasks that pose a risk to workers. This is a no-brainer when you consider the numbers:

A Positive Ratio: Along with improved safety comes improved associate satisfaction – a win-win for all involved in your operations of order fulfillment services.

Increased Packaging Throughput

A great benefit of a SLAM system is that it can drive accuracy and speed, ultimately leading to higher package throughput. With a SLAM system in place, order accuracy is built into the process.

SLAM lines feature quality checks throughout the process such as scanning an LPN (license plate number) barcode on the carton or package to ensure that it is attached directly to the proper package.

Once the Print & Apply label applicator is attached, the LPN barcode and shipping label are scanned to verify the correct package is going to the correct customer.

Additional options that can be included in the SLAM line include a scale and DIM system with integrated rate shopping to save on shipping cost. This all-in-one system compares the actual parcel weight with the expected weight sorts packages to the correct shipping carrier chute using the package barcode. This all can be done at a rate of 15 – 25 packages per minute with accuracy.

Find Low Shipping and Reduced Carrier Rates 

SLAM systems can also help reduce shipping costs by having the correct weight and DIM of the box packaging or bag. Fast shipping rate shopping software helps to save on carrier costs and optimize order fulfillment.

Additionally, right-sized automated packaging equipment, such as Tension’s HPS-300 variable length packaging system, can reduce excess package waste and help reduce shipping costs by up to 18% when the package is rate shopped on your SLAM line. 

With the option of adding sortation to your line, this reduces labor costs when compared to manual package sorting to different carriers and service levels.

Consolidated Workstations

Another benefit of SLAM systems is that they can help consolidate shipping workstations. With a SLAM system in place, there is no need for multiple shipping stations by carrier.

All orders can be sorted at the end of the fulfillment process and then shipped out from one central location. This consolidation can lead to a 50% reduction in shipping stations, freeing up more space in the warehouse for production and inventory storage.

Contact Us

From increased throughput to reduced labor costs, SLAM systems can offer a multitude of advantages to an eCommerce fulfillment services or warehouse operation.

Looking for ways to improve your operational efficiency and net profits? Consider investing in a system that is sure to be a SLAM dunk for your organization.

Tension offers a full suite of automated packaging equipment including automated bagging machines, conveyor systems, sorters, print and apply labelers and more. Contact an expert at Tension to discuss today.

How a Sortation System Can Optimize Your Order Fulfillment Services

tensionapdev on January 18, 2023

The Role of Sortation Systems in Optimizing Order Fulfillment Services

The eCommerce industry is face paced, featuring order fulfillment as a critical factor of customer satisfaction. To meet customer demands and expectations, warehouses are increasingly turning to automated sortation systems to optimize their order fulfillment process.

When it comes to shipping, fast is no longer fast enough. Consumers who were impressed with Amazon’s two-day shipping now want shorter delivery times and lower shipping charges. Twenty-minute delivery windows may soon be the new standard for delivery times as adopters of quick commerce (Q-Commerce) gain traction in the grocery segment, which could soon expand to other retail industries. A recent study also revealed that 66% of online shoppers had abandoned their carts because of shipping costs.

Creating Operational Efficiencies with Sortation

As consumers want more for less, warehouses, distribution centers and order fulfillment operations are looking for ways to be more productive. One way to offer these efficiencies is through sortation systems for order fulfillment.

Items that have been packaged on our automated packaging equipment , travels to the sorter when the package is identified and diverted with the assistance of our TensionCONNECTTM software.

How a Sortation System Can Help Your Fulfillment Operations

Sortation systems can help optimize your order fulfillment operation by improving order accuracy and speed, reducing labor costs, and ensuring versatility and use of warehouse space. By automating the sorting process, you can process a high volume of orders with minimal resources and reduce the chances of errors occurring during the fulfillment process.

Benefits to using sortation systems in your order fulfillment operations include:

  • Increased Speed: With routing that is completed in a fraction of the time compared to a manual process, a sortation system can help drastically improve item sorting rates.  
  • Improved Accuracy: A scanner automatically assigns the package to the correct carrier so your staff doesn’t have to. 
  • Decreased Labor Costs: With the added efficiencies a sortation system can provide, your staff can focus on other high-skilled areas that need their expertise. 
  • Better Use of Valuable Warehouse Space: Save floor space with a sophisticated, flexible design tailor-made for tight warehouses. 
  • Enhanced Versatility: Our sorters can handle nearly every size, shape and weight, including apparel, shoes, jewelry, pharmaceuticals, CDs, mail, books and small parcels.

What to Consider When Choosing a Sortation System

When choosing a sortation system for order fulfillment, several factors must be taken into consideration, including the type of products being sorted, the layout of the warehouse, budget, and ROI. These can have an impact on which sortation systems work best for your order fulfillment. Choosing the right sortation system for order fulfillment can greatly enhance efficiency, accuracy, and customer satisfaction, making it a critical decision for any warehouse or distribution center.

Choose Sortation Systems Designed to Grow With You

Compact and adjustable, our sortation system fits into small or large spaces, and can adjust to different modes or fulfillment channels. This system is also designed to grow in capacity, and is flexible enough to handle a changing product mix.

We work in an environment where the only constant is change. It’s an environment where responding to a more demanding customer is vital to your business. With increased fulfillment demands, an automated sortation system may just be the key to lasting success.

Contact Tension

Tension Packaging & Automation is a leader in complete packaging and automation solutions for the eCommerce and pharmacy automation industries. Our line of packaging equipment seamlessly integrates with sortation systems and related software to help rate-shop and select the best carrier at the best price.

Contact Tension today to discuss how we can help set up your eCommerce or pharmacy order fulfillment operation for success with the help of our sortation systems.

Product Spotlight: Tension PharmaPATH™ Back-End Pharmacy Workflow Software

tensionapdev on November 9, 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the vital role pharmacies play in healthcare, driving demand for efficient management tools like Tension’s PharmaPATHTM Back-End Pharmacy Workflow Software. Designed to streamline operations, PharmaPATH integrates seamlessly with front-end systems, ensuring accuracy, adaptability, and maximum performance for mail order, specialty, and central fill pharmacies. Transform your pharmacy workflows with intuitive, high-performing solutions from Tension.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the critical role pharmacies play in American healthcare. As the demand for high-value pharmacist services such as vaccinations, medication therapies, and drug management for acute illness remains strong, so does the need for effective pharmacy management software and workflow tools.

Pharmacy workflows can assign pharmacy technicians various tasks in the pharmacy, allowing pharmacists more bandwidth to provide high-value services and ultimately deliver more satisfying patient experiences.

Infuse intuitive, efficient, and intelligent pharmacy software solutions in your pharmacy with Tension’s PharmaPATHTM Back-End Pharmacy Workflow Software.

What is PharmaPATH Software?

Through an interface with front-end pharmacy software systems, the PharmaPATH is a back-end pharmacy workflow management software system that accepts order requests that have been fully adjudicated and confirmed ready for processing. Then, it facilitates the prescription through dispensing, pharmacist verification (PV), packaging and manifesting.

WFS helps all types of pharmacies, including mail order, central fill, and specialty pharmacies, seamlessly manage the back-end processing of prescription and non-prescription items.

PharmaPATH Workflow Software Benefits

PharmaPATH software is well-suited for automated pharmacy dispensing systems:

  • Easy to Use – Dedicated workstations allow operators to focus on the task at hand in your automated pharmacy.
  • Streamlined – Process a prescription in a fraction of the time it takes to process a prescription with a manual process.
  • Adaptable – Easily integrates with front end pharmacy technology applications. This back-end workflow software system can be modified to fit your unique workflows or customized to meet your specific pharmacy needs.
  • Accurate – Accuracy is built into every step of the process with barcode scan verification of products, patient labels, documentation, and packaging.
  • Intuitive – Intuitive user interfaces are efficiency-focused and designed to reduce training efforts, increase throughput and eliminate mistakes in your pharmacy operations.
  • Performer – The entire workflow is designed toward maximum throughput and performance without sacrificing quality.
  • Intelligent – Intelligent order induction for the pharmacy dispensing software determines the best processing method for each item dispensed.

Who Needs PharmaPATH Software?

Tension’s PharmaPATH software is ideal for pharmacies that need an easier-to-learn and intuitive processing system for their pharmacy workflow.

Pharmacy managers seeking to increase accuracy and performance in their pharmacy operations can benefit from Tension’s PharmaPATH, as it offers an environment that minimizes operator error as medications are scanned, logged and tracked in efficient, dedicated workstations.

Pharmacy technicians/operators will also appreciate the ergonomic, minimalistic approach and ascetically pleasing user interfaces.

Because it is so versatile and easy to use, Tension’s PharmaPATH software can be integrated into any pharmacy looking for a new workflow management system or an upgrade to improve existing processes. From specialty to pet & livestock to long term care to mail order pharmacies, Tension has the innovative tools you need to revolutionize your pharmacy operations.

Want More Information?

Download our case study to learn how one Tension customer implemented our PharmaPATH Back-End Pharmacy Workflow Software System to launch their online pharmacy. Click here to access the case study.

Contact Us

Give your pharmacy operations a boost with Tension’s PharmaPATH pharmacy management software. Contact us to get started today, or check our product page for more details.

The (Mega) Impact of Pharmacy on Healthcare, Part 2

tensionapdev on October 19, 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic showcased the essential role of pharmacies in healthcare, with the PREP Act enabling pharmacists and technicians to expand their services, such as administering childhood vaccinations. As the act nears its expiration in 2024, pharmacies are advocating for its extension and modernizing state laws to create more uniform regulations. Investing in pharmacy automation and empowering technicians can help pharmacies adapt to evolving healthcare demands while advancing their capabilities and efficiency.

In part one of this series, we highlighted how the COVID-19 pandemic has put a spotlight on the vital role that pharmacies play in our healthcare system. Now, we’ll look at the impact of the PREP Act on pharmacy and the potential implications for its future. 

The PREP Act and Pharmacy

In response to the pandemic, many state governments invoked the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act) to allow pharmacists, pharmacy interns, and pharmacy technicians additional flexibilities, such as ordering and administering ACIP (Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices) recommended childhood vaccinations, irrespective of state laws or regulations. The PREP Act helped pharmacies across the country quickly pivot and scale their operations to meet the needs of their communities.  

The Future of Pharmacy and the PREP Act

Now that the pandemic is beginning to subside, pharmacies are looking to the future and advocating for the PREP Act to be extended beyond its current expiration date of Oct. 1, 2024. In addition, pharmacies are pushing for state laws to be modernized so that there is more uniformity between states. 

Pharmacies can continue to collaborate to modernize state laws where there is a gap between allowed pharmacy services and work together to find common issues to advocate for at the national level (e.g., allow pharmacy technicians to administer flu vaccines). 

Pharmacy Evolution and the PREP Act

Following the PREP Act, legislation could also positively impact pharmacies as healthcare demands continue to expand during a time when labor is hard to find. 

First, pharmacies could consider investments in pharmacy automation solutions and central-fill pharmacies, which allows more empowerment and responsibilities for pharmacy technicians who would need to be specially trained on the equipment. Also, advocacy for legislation to allow pharmacy technicians to administer vaccines (in addition to the COVID-19 vaccine) could provide greater career progression and path for them.  

Advocating for Change in Healthcare

As we begin to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s clear pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system. The successes achieved by pharmacies during the pandemic provide a strong foundation for advocacy efforts in the future. 

By working together and advocating for changes at both the state and national levels, pharmacies can ensure that they are prepared for whatever challenges lie ahead.  

About Tension

Tension Packaging and Automation has pharmacy automation solutions to help your pharmacy grow as the industry continues to evolve. Contact us today to discuss how we can help. 

Simplified Shipping Solutions from the USPS Part 3: AI and Beacon Technologies for Packages

tensionapdev on October 5, 2022

 

The USPS is leveraging AI and beacon technology to enhance package delivery efficiency and transparency. With AI tools like Advanced Expected Delivery (AExD) for precise delivery predictions and virtual agents (AIVA) for improved customer interactions, businesses and consumers benefit from better tracking and service. Beacon technology adds real-time tracking and enhanced security for high-value shipments, offering innovative solutions to save businesses time, money, and improve customer satisfaction.

The USPS® continues to seek new and innovative ways to improve the shipping process for businesses of all sizes. In our recent Simplified Package Solutions from the USPS series, we explored USPS Connect and its convenient local, regional, national delivery and return offerings, UPS Innovation, and USPS Informed Delivery for packages. In this post, we will discuss some of the latest advancements in AI and beacon technology that can help make package delivery more efficient and insightful than ever before. 

The USPS and AI Tech

One way that the USPS is working to improve package delivery is through artificial intelligence (AI) technology.  

  • Advanced Expected Delivery (AExD) – Advanced Expected Delivery (AExD) is AI technology that uses historical data and carrier route data (e.g., delivery time of day) to more accurately predict deliveries.  
  • AIVA – The USPS is also leveraging AI through artificial intelligence virtual agents (AIVA) such as Google’s Alexa to manage call center volumes. AIVA can be used to help understand the intent behind what someone is saying and can be used to help customers reschedule deliveries and get answers to passport questions through their AIVA devices and provide great customer experience.  

Together, both AExD and AIVA technologies more accurately predict parcel deliveries and can provide consumers with more transparency to know where their shipment is and when they can expect it — and improve customer satisfaction overall.  

The USPS and Beacon Tech

The USPS also has plans to implement beacon technology to improve package delivery. Beacon technology, which consists of small, wireless transmitters that use low-energy Bluetooth technology to send signals to other smart devices nearby, such as IoT infrastructures, could allow businesses to track their packages in real-time.   

Beacon technology could also help ensure that packages are delivered on time and without any issues throughout the delivery journey. This visibility has the potential to provide security for packages of high value or importance, such as fine jewelry or prescription medicines. Lastly, beacon technology could be used to help businesses recover lost or stolen packages. 

How Businesses Can Save Money with Beacon Tech

The adoption of AI and Beacon technology could save businesses money in the future. Overall, the USPS is using a variety of different technologies and processes to improve package delivery for businesses of all sizes.  By using these technologies, businesses can save time and money while also providing a better customer experience. 

Contact Tension for eCommerce Automation Solutions

If you are interested in learning more about the USPS and its shipping solutions, or want to take advantage of automated packaging equipment, bagging machines, and pharmacy automation solutions, contact us today to learn more. 

Source: NPF 2022 Presentation, “Latest and Greatest in Postal Technology” by Peter Klausner Director, Emerging Business Technology at USPS. 

Simplified Package Shipping Solutions from the USPS Part 2: UPS Mail Innovations and USPS Informed Delivery for Packages

tensionapdev on September 27, 2022

USPS and UPS offer innovative solutions like UPS Mail Innovations® and Informed Delivery® to help businesses streamline eCommerce shipping. UPS Mail Innovations reduces touchpoints and costs by combining UPS’s national network with USPS’s last-mile delivery, while Informed Delivery provides email previews of mail and packages, creating new marketing opportunities with high engagement rates. Together, these programs enhance operational efficiency and customer communication, supporting businesses in meeting rising eCommerce demands.

In our previous post, we explored USPS Connect™ its convenient shipping and return services. Now, let’s turn our attention to some additional simplified package shipping solutions.
 

The United States Postal Service (USPS) claims it’s “delivering for America with innovative solutions for businesses.” Informed Delivery® by USPS and UPS Mail Innovations® make good on that promise.

Both programs help businesses keep pace with the astonishing rise in eCommerce shipping by solving a handful of operational challenges.

What is UPS Mail Innovations?

UPS Mail Innovations is a collaborative program between USPS and UPS to deliver parcels more efficiently. Shipping solutions relying on traditional USPS mailing methods typically see a parcel travel through six separate touchpoints along its journey. By integrating with UPS and leveraging its national network of processing facilities and technology, that number is slashed. UPS handles the heavy lifting—long transits, labeling and, sorting of qualified mail—before dropping mail pieces at a USPS facility for last-mile delivery.

The streamlined solution offers speed and lowers costs. Those aren’t the only benefits, though. Today, 20% of merchants, including pharmaceuticals and healthcare providers, use the service. With the ability to brand, personalize and even include bounce-back incentives, the labels become another important piece of the marketing toolkit.

Convenience can’t be underscored either. Merchants can drop off packages at any UPS store, 24-hour service kiosk*, or rapid drop-off station. And returns are just as simple with easy-to-use, prepaid labels.

What is Informed Delivery?

Informed Delivery by USPS has been around for a few years—enough time to realize the benefits are real. The free service provides recipients an email preview of their mail before it arrives. But the real upside to this shipping solution belongs to those businesses that capitalize upon it.

Informed Delivery email open rates are strong at 63%, meaning more than half of direct mail pieces receive multiple impressions across channels. Shippers can use Informed Delivery to enrich an existing marketing campaign—at no additional cost. What’s more, they have access to a digital dashboard sharing important metrics like click-through and open rates. Great for A/B testing, it can help businesses understand what messaging resonates.

And it’s about to get better. Until now, Informed Delivery only pertained to letters, but package campaigns are coming soon.

Contact us to discuss how we can enhance your operations in tandem with these USPS offerings.

About Tension

Tension Packaging & Automation is a leader in complete packaging and automation solutions for the eCommerce and pharmacy automation industries. Our line of packaging equipment seamlessly integrates with transportation management systems (TMS) with options for weight verification, rate shopping, and sorting to multiple carriers (e.g., USPS) and service levels — contact us to get started.

The (Mega) Impact of Pharmacy on Healthcare, Part 1

tensionapdev on September 15, 2022

The Critical Role Pharmacies Played Under the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program

Under the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program for COVID-19 Vaccination, a program announced in early 2021 under the Biden administration to ensure access to COVID-19 vaccines for the American public, pharmacies are responsible for administering more than 263 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine and more than 50 million COVID-19 tests to date. This massive reach is not only a testament to the impact the pharmacy industry had and continues to have on the COVID-19 pandemic as vaccine boosters become available. Pharmacies set the stage for the critical role they will play in American healthcare.

Pharmacy Infrastructure: Paving the Way for a National Wellness Solution 

More than 41,000 pharmacy locations participated in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, providing an infrastructure that gave the American public access to trained healthcare professionals during a time when they were greatly needed across all demographics. Under the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program:

  • 40% of the COVID-19 vaccines were administered to racial and ethnic minorities1
  • 70% of the COVID-19 tests were given to those in moderate to high social vulnerability1

The American healthcare system was stretched before the COVID-19 pandemic. With the added COVID-19-related needs for vaccines and testing, community pharmacies are in a prime position to serve as an extension of care to fill in gaps for other vaccines, chronic disease management, and even mental health services for all who need it.

America Puts Their Trust in Pharmacies

Public trust in pharmacies is high collectively coming to the public’s rescue with services urgently needed during the COVID-19 pandemic (and largely to those who needed it most in areas of high social vulnerability). As such, the time is right to build on that foundation of trust by creating pharmacies as a “test and treat” destination for flu, RSV, strep, and other seasonal illnesses. Pharmacies also serve as the care destination for acute illnesses and chronic diseases. 

Contact Tension

The demands are high when it comes to patient needs. Tension Packaging & Automation works to help our customers navigate those demands with our pharmacy packaging and automation solutions for mail-order, central-fill, and specialty pharmacies. Contact us to start a discussion on how we can help your pharmacy operations.

Source

1 – NACDS TSE Presentation “Pharmaceutical Issues, Trends and Forecasts,” by Lisa Smith, Walmart Senior Director, Health & Wellness.

Product Spotlight: BPM (Bottle Packaging Machine)

tensionapdev on July 21, 2022

The online pharmacy market is set to soar to over $210 billion by 2028, presenting significant opportunities—and challenges—for mail-order and central-fill pharmacies. Tension’s Bottle Packaging Machine (BPM) is a high-output, automated solution designed to scale with demand, offering unmatched accuracy and efficiency. With a multi-stage verification process, on-demand printing, and throughput rates of 600+ packages per hour, the BPM streamlines pharmacy operations while ensuring patient safety.

The global online pharmacy market is expected to reach more than $210 billion by 2028, up from $69 billion in 2020. This significant growth represents exciting opportunities for mail-order and central-fill pharmacies yet it can also pose a sizable operational challenge as business needs are scaled.
 

What is the BPM?

The BPM or Bottle Packaging Machine is a high output bottle and vial packaging system for mail-order and central-fill pharmacies. With throughputs* of up to 10 times that of a packing clerk in a high output pharmacy, this fully automated system packs prescriptions and patient-specific documents in bags that are printed on-demand.

*Actual throughput is dependent upon multiple factors including staffing productivity and performance, workflows, data interfaces and availability of product to the system.

Automated Bottle Packaging Equipment for Pharmacy Fulfillment

The BPM offers best-in-class bottle automation and fill-pack technology for pharmaceutical filling machines with its:

  • Scan–Print–Pack–Seal™ configuration
  • Print on-demand patient documents
  • Tension’s Auto-Fold Technology
  • Power unwind feature for positive bag-web control
  • Multi-step verification

Additionally, multiple configurations for a customized BPM system are available based on your needs and configurations.

Ensure Accuracy and Efficiency with the BPM

  1. The BPM features a multi-stage scan verification process and remains the most accurate and efficient solution on the market today:
    Each patient-specific barcode is automatically scanned and matched to an order.
  2. Patient-specific documents are printed, scanned for verification and folded without human intervention.
  3. All prescriptions and documents are inserted into the printed or labeled package, and the patient’s order is sealed.

If any of the scans do not read or do not match, the system rejects the order for review by a technician.

The BPM is the Ideal Bottle Packaging Machine for Pharmacies

Tension’s BPM runs in mail-order and central-fill pharmacies at rates of 600 packages per hour and higher. Easily interfaced to single bottle lines or puck-based conveyance systems, the BPM provides the accuracy, throughput and efficiency of space to optimize your pharmacy.

Want More Information on Our Pharmacy Automation Solutions?

Give your mail-order or central-fill pharmacy operations an efficient boost with the Tension BPM. Contact us to get started today, or check our product page for more details.