Millions of loading units are being transported around the globe every day. Harmonized standards ensure that they can pass through different points in the process chain without any obstacles. This is backed up by a complex logistical system - Efficient Unit Loads. 
Harmonized Standards Secure Efficient Goods Flow
A worker of a German manufacturer of potato chips, pretzel sticks and peanuts is processing the order of a retailing company. A worker puts together picked goods and stacks them onto a pallet. Except for a few boxes the entire order fits onto one pallet. The truck driver helps a little, pushes here, squeezes there and presto – it all fits. A place is found for the last few boxes. However, the boxes are overshooting the edge of the pallet by a few centimeters. The worker shrink-wraps the shipment and pushes the pallet into the truck, which is to deliver the shipment to the retailer’s central warehouse.
Once arrived, warehouse workers accept the pallet. They try everything to store the pallet in the planned high rack shelf but fail. As much as they try it just won’t fit, because of the boxes protruding over the edge. There is nothing else they can do but tear open the shrink-wrapping and put the shipment on two pallets. The result is that they are now occupying two shelf spaces instead of one.
Once arrived, warehouse workers accept the pallet. They try everything to store the pallet in the planned high rack shelf but fail. As much as they try it just won’t fit, because of the boxes protruding over the edge. There is nothing else they can do but tear open the shrink-wrapping and put the shipment on two pallets. The result is that they are now occupying two shelf spaces instead of one.
Avoidable Extra Work
Due to the supplier’s worker stacking the pallet incorrectly more work was needed in the central warehouse of the retailer, which ultimately created additional costs. In addition, time was lost which had a knock-on effect on the entire delivery schedule. While workers were re-stacking the pallet the next truck was already waiting at the bay with the next shipment. Obstructions such as these can be avoided, if carton dimensions, pallets, storage space and the type of shipping unit packaging are clearly defined by standards.
Such standards are defined by so-called Efficient Unit Loads (EUL) – a logistics system to efficiently design goods streams throughout all processes in the logistics chain.
Such standards are defined by so-called Efficient Unit Loads (EUL) – a logistics system to efficiently design goods streams throughout all processes in the logistics chain.
