FastFetch Announces IntelliPack for Right-sized Packaging and Slashing Shipping Costs

FastFetch Announces Novel Right-Sized Packaging Solution

October 1, 2020
Pendleton, SC – FastFetch Corporation announces a new product that provides a simple strategy for employing right-sized packaging. Using right-sized packaging typically reduces shipping volume by as much as 30% and yields significant savings on shipping costs. The system was debuted during ProMat 2019 at Chicago’s McCormick Place that took place April 8-11, 2019.

Packaging products for shipment can be challenging, especially when there is a wide assortment of products to be shipped and each shipment contains a different collection of products. Shipping excessive air has become expensive since carriers have begun to base shipping rates on both size and weight of the parcel. FastFetch’s solution to right-sized packaging uses artificial intelligence (AI) to compute the dimensions of a carton that accommodates items to be shipped while minimizing wasted space. The second part of the solution is to make the right-sized carton readily available on demand.

Modern dimensioning systems can determine the size of the individual items that are to be shipped. Given the dimensions of the items to be shipped, FastFetch’s solution uses a clever AI technique—much like game-playing algorithms that can determine a good move in checkers or chess—to explore possible item placements and orientations and arrive at an optimal-sized shipping carton. FastFetch’s algorithm for determining the optimal shipping carton executes in less than a second for most practical applications. The FastFetch solution is a complete solution encompassing carton storage, carton selection, and replenishment of consumed cartons. According to Dr. Jack Peck, Founder and President of FastFetch, “Our right-sized packaging solution enables customers to cut their shipping costs by minimizing wasted space in shipping cartons. With a typical return-on-investment period of only a few months, our solution brings right-sized packaging within the reach of even smaller companies.”

FastFetch analyzes historical order records to identify an assortment of cartons—perhaps 40 or more—that will accommodate the entire set of past orders with minimal wasted space. Multiple units of each of the assorted carton sizes are then maintained in carton racks positioned near packing stations. The system uses item dimensions to quickly determine which of the assortment of cartons in the carton rack is optimal for packing a particular collection of items with minimal wasted space. The system then identifies the best carton using a strip of light-emitting diodes adjacent to the carton location so the packer can quickly access the best carton as soon as it is needed. Consumed cartons are replenished using voice, barcode scanning, and light-directed technologies on a delivery cart. Finally, orders are sent to a carton supplier on a frequent basis to replenish cartons that have been consumed.

About FastFetch
FastFetch Corporation, located in Pendleton, SC, develops hardware and software products for distribution, logistics, and manufacturing industries. The company was founded in 2006 and provides technologies for eCommerce order fulfillment, store replenishment, returns processing, and kitting and sequencing for manufacturing assembly lines. FastFetch holds several US and international patents on its technologies and has been recognized by such prestigious professional organizations as MHI (one of 6 finalists for the ProMat Best Existing Product Innovation in 2015), CSCMP (one of 5 finalists for the 2018 Supply Chain Innovation of the Year Award), and SupplyChainBrain (named to the list of 100 Great Supply Chain Partners for 2018). For additional information, visit the FastFetch website (www.fastfetch.biz).