Improving Product and Packaging Design and Streamlining Supply Chain Operations for a Niche Product Innovator
The Client
The client manufactures and supplies specialized carpenter bee traps, selling both on their website and to retailers across the US. Their carpenter bee traps are unique and considered the most effective way to eliminate carpenter bees as they do not require maintenance or bait, making them a one-time investment.
The Problem
The client was single-sourced from China but faced rising costs and escalated risks due to tariffs and volatility with Chinese suppliers. The client wanted to diversify and establish a new supply chain in India but had no prior experience in that market. Their patented designs made them cautious about trusting unknown partners; plus, they did not have proper blueprints and specifications to work from, which presented additional problems with product development.
They engaged with SourcX in 2021 for technical and engineering support and to help secure an alternate manufacturing and supply chain in India.
The Solution
Our multi-faceted approach encompassed technical engineering, product design, packaging, and supply chain optimization.
• Technical and engineering support to develop and improve the product.
• Continuous product improvement to simplify processes and packaged differently for Amazon and higher-margin retailers.
• Customized product packaging to boost the visibility of in-store displays.
• Palletized shipments to reduce time and labor at warehouses.
• Faster time-to-market (45 days vs. 3-6 months) with new products that helped the client gain competitive edge.
• Reduced indirect costs, established a trusted supply chain with customer category customizations, enabled greater flexibility to adapt to market needs.
Success
SourcX developed drawings and models for the customer, finalizing a superior product through multiple rounds of development. Ultimately, we were able to keep costs to a minimum and provide incredible freedom for the client to get the product “just right.” Having established strong foundations of trust, the client came to rely on us to make improvements to the product and provide technical knowledge to implement his ideas. We were chosen over the incumbent product engineer to develop alternate models and designs to increase their product offerings.
Post-development, our product proved superior in quality to the incumbents’, which has enabled the client to market their inventory on Amazon and higher-margin brick-and-mortar retailers. We also helped them develop customized packaging to improve in-store displays and implemented palletization for more streamlined loading, off-loading, and transport in and out of the warehouse.