Packaging design for e-Operations: a reference framework and experimental evidence

Recently, a lot of companies have started to use web Operations. Electronic commerce is a promising information technology application that has been witnessed in recent years. E-commerce is a new sales tool, in which consumers are able to participate in all the stages of the purchasing decision, while going through processes electronically rather than in a real shop. Online shopping significantly influences supply chain operations, including the packaging system. Traditionally, packaging is intended as a logistics means and a marketing tool. With the increase of the online shopping, the packaging functions have had to develop along with the new online shopping requirements. The authors have proposed an original reference framework for the design of a packaging system applied to e-Operations. New and specific characteristics (e.g. a large number of packaging materials, increased protection of items, the use of packaging at its end-life, attention to environmental sustainability) are required by e-Operations. According to the framework, the authors have developed a mathematical model to evaluate the cost that a company has to sustain for entering the e-commerce business. Both the framework and the mathematical model have been applied to a case study in order to develop an innovative packaging solution for e-commerce. The paper has a twofold purpose: the first is to analyse the link between packaging and e-commerce, and to evaluate how the packaging system should change to meet online shopping requirements. The second aim is to optimise the packaging solution for e-commerce defined for a company selling online, based on the framework proposed and the mathematical model developed.