From tariff uncertainties to carrier rate increases, businesses are constantly adapting to new challenges while searching for technologies that deliver real ROI rather than empty promises. Supply chain volatility has reached a new level.

The question isn't whether to invest in technology—it's which investments will actually move the needle on costs and efficiency. After years of helping shippers optimize their packing operations, we've learned the most successful companies focus on technologies that solve fundamental operational problems rather than chasing the latest headlines.

Five Forces Reshaping Supply Chain Operations

We're seeing five major trends fundamentally changing how businesses operate:

1. Global Trade Evolution - Despite tariff uncertainty, global trade continues. While near-shoring efforts grow, the specialized manufacturing expertise concentrated in regions like China will take years to replicate elsewhere. This reality means operational improvements become even more critical as shipping distances and costs fluctuate.

2. E-commerce Acceleration - E-commerce continues to grow rapidly with an estimated market size of 75.12 trillion by 2034. This shift demands packing solutions be designed for direct-to-consumer fulfillment rather than traditional B2B shipping patterns.

3. Climate Imperatives - Sustainability improvements continue to come into focus. Companies need solutions that reduce environmental impact and ensure regulatory compliance while cutting costs. Prioritizing waste reduction will be imperative to meet ESG goals.

4. Digitalization - Technology is touching every aspect of operations, but success comes from identifying which technologies solve actual problems versus creating new complexity.

5. Workforce Evolution - With multiple generations in the workplace, systems need to be intuitive enough for varying skill levels while enabling consistent execution regardless of operator experience.

These trends compound each other, creating both challenges and opportunities for businesses ready to adapt with the right technology stack.

Cutting Through the Technology Hype

Here's where many companies get it wrong: they chase the latest headlines instead of focusing on practical applications that drive measurable results.

As DHL's Nabil Malouli noted during Cartonize 2025, “Customers will always want things to cost less, be faster, and have better quality." This timeless truth explains why flashy tech initiatives often disappoint while boring operational improvements consistently deliver ROI.

While companies debate AI strategies, many still struggle with basic data visibility across their own systems. They're planning for autonomous warehouses while their current WMS can't properly communicate with their shipping software. The real opportunity isn't in the headlines, it's in fixing the foundational gaps that bleed into margins daily.

In our experience, the highest-impact technology investments share common characteristics:

Solve Specific Operational Problems - Technology should address concrete use cases, not abstract possibilities. If you can't quantify the problem, you can't measure the solution's success.

Integrate With Existing Systems - Solutions that work with your current infrastructure rather than requiring complete overhauls get implemented faster and deliver ROI sooner.

Deliver Measurable ROI - The best technologies pay for themselves multiple times over through quantifiable savings.

Address Multiple Challenges - The most valuable solutions tackle several pain points simultaneously, maximizing your investment.

Why Packing Optimization Delivers Exceptional ROI

Packing optimization exemplifies a high-impact technology investment. It addresses multiple challenges simultaneously:

Cost Reduction - Reduces dimensional weight charges, material costs, and labor requirements while offsetting general rate increases (GRI).

Sustainability - Cuts material usage and Scope-3 emissions, helping meet environmental goals.

Operational Efficiency - Automates complex packing decisions, enabling consistent execution regardless of operator experience.

Customer Experience - Right-sized packaging reduces product damage and delivers a better unboxing experience.

Unlike many technology investments requiring years to show returns, packing optimization typically pays for itself within months. We've seen shippers reduce transportation costs by 6-15% while cutting corrugated usage by ~14% and reducing Scope-3 emissions by 20%.

The Costs of Inaction

While companies debate which technologies to adopt, they're often missing the money bleeding from poor packing decisions every day:

• Dimensional weight penalties from oversized packages

• Excessive material costs from inefficient box selection

• Increased damage rates from improper packing

• Labor inefficiencies from manual decision-making

• Environmental impact fees from EPR regulations

These inefficiencies compound into massive profit drains across millions of annual shipments. Optimizing packing efficiency can save enterprise operations millions of dollars with payback periods measured in months, not years.

Building Technology Stacks That Adapt to Change

The most successful companies approach technology investment strategically. Rather than seeking perfect, all-encompassing solutions, they prioritize technologies that enable flexibility and continuous improvement.

This approach favors modular solutions that can be implemented incrementally, measured rigorously, and adapted as business conditions change. It also prioritizes solutions with open APIs and integration capabilities that evolve alongside your technology ecosystem.

For packing optimization, this means choosing platforms that work across multiple WMS, integrate with various carrier APIs, and provide continuous monitoring capabilities to adapt to changing order profiles and shipping patterns.

What Doesn't Change

Despite the evolution of technologies, certain fundamentals remain constant. Businesses want lower costs, higher quality, faster service, and greater sustainability. The technologies that deliver on these timeless demands will continue providing value regardless of which specific trends emerge next.

By focusing investments on solutions that are flexible and scalable, organizations can build digital readiness that translates into a lasting competitive advantage.

Companies that successfully navigate this journey will cut through the noise and invest in technologies that deliver genuine operational improvements tied to measurable business outcomes. In our experience, packing optimization sits at the intersection of immediate ROI and long-term strategic value, making it an ideal foundation for building a more efficient, sustainable, and profitable supply chain operation.

To learn more about The Future of Supply Chain, tune in to Nabil Malouli, SVP, Global eCommerce & Returns Keynote Session at Cartonize 2025.