DS Smith & Flex-N-Gate

Ask for the performance you need

Flex-N-Gate, a leading manufacturer of high-quality parts for the automotive industry — and a long-term customer of DS Smith, an international packaging company — wanted to optimise the space in the trucks that were used to transport the car bumpers from their manufacturing facilities to the car assemblers. They made a request to DS Smith for a new type of packaging that would allow them to optimise the space in the trucks, and if possible, adhere to sustainability criteria. The cost was the key tender criteria with CO2 emissions reduction playing a part too.

Due to their long-term partnership, DS Smith was able to work closely with key people at Flex-N-Gate to innovate and validate the new packaging solution. They created a new type of box with the optimal amount of material that made best use of the space in the truck. The total cost of ownership of this innovative solution was more attractive than the previous one and reduced CO2 emissions, thanks to a maximised number of products in the truck and the perfect protection of the goods (painted car bumpers that are sensitive to abrasion), avoiding the necessity to produce and deliver replacement products. The packaging is made out of a mix of recycled and virgin cardboard and is 100% recyclable.

The special shape associated with centering devices and a customized pallet also secure the load on each pallet by a perfect stability, delivering great safety conditions to all employees.

“Working with people directly responsible for the project on the Flex-N-Gate side made it easier to innovate and validate the optimal solution.” (Jean-Michel Audivert, Sales Manager, Industrial Markets Business Unit, DS Smith)

Key insights:

• Write your tender based on the performance needs instead of items or materials. This provides the opportunity to innovate without resorting to the usual and previously used solutions. The capabilities of the supplier (ability to innovate, machinery available, quality control) will be key.

• Make sure that your supplier can work closely with the key people and teams in your organisation to test and validate their new solution. That might be more possible in long-term partnerships with established relationships and trust.

• As a supplier, make sure you have proper internal processes to allow the information sharing to come up with the best solution. In the case of DS Smith, they had the industrial design team set up to share relevant knowledge and experience