Ecommerce Box optimisation tool

Upwork Project Brief – E-commerce Box Optimisation Tool **Development of an E-commerce Carton Optimisation & Box Rationalisation Tool** Project Overview Carlton Packaging is seeking an experienced software developer or development team to create a professional, user-friendly box optimisation tool that analyses historical e-commerce order data and recommends the optimum range of transit box sizes required to fulfil those orders. The primary objective is to reduce packaging waste, improve cube utilisation, minimise void fill, and reduce the number of boxes used across a customer's order profile. The solution will be used both internally by Carlton Packaging and externally by customers, so an intuitive, professional, and commercially presentable interface is essential. Tech stack/software to drive this solution is to be recommended by the developer, and Carlton Packaging does not have a preference, apart from it should be an easily sharable solution without any software being installed to run this, and potentially long-term a web based interface. *** Business Challenge Many e-commerce businesses operate with an inefficient range of box sizes, leading to: * Excessive void fill * Poor carton utilisation * Increased shipping costs * Unnecessary corrugated consumption * Increased storage requirements * Poor sustainability performance We want to provide customers with a data-driven recommendation of the optimum box portfolio based on their actual historic order profile. *** *Required Functionality* Historical Order Upload The user should be able to upload historical order data via: * Excel (.xlsx) * CSV * Manual data entry Each order will consist of: * Order ID * Multiple product SKUs * Product length * Product width * Product height * Product weight (optional) * Quantity of each SKU Orders may contain multiple products of varying sizes. *** Packing Optimisation Engine The core of the tool should analyse each order and determine: * The optimum packing arrangement * Best tessellation and orientation of products * Minimum volumetric space required * Whether products should be packed in: * One box * Multiple boxes * Overall box utilisation percentage The algorithm must consider: * Rotation of products * Full 3D packing logic * Real-world cartonisation principles * Minimisation of wasted space * Minimisation of box count We are looking for a practical packing solution rather than a simplistic volume calculation. *** Optimum Box Range Recommendation Based on all uploaded orders, the tool should identify: * The optimum range of box sizes to fulfil the order profile User-adjustable parameters should include: * Minimum number of box sizes * Maximum number of box sizes * Minimum utilisation target * Maximum acceptable void percentage * Packaging hierarchy preferences For example: The user may request: * Best 5 box sizes * Best 10 box sizes * Best 15 box sizes The tool should then recommend the most effective box range accordingly. *** Existing Box Portfolio Analysis Users should also be able to upload an existing portfolio of box sizes. The tool should: * Assess performance of existing box range * Identify utilisation levels * Recommend which sizes should be retained * Recommend which sizes should be removed * Suggest any additional sizes required *** Comparative Analysis The system should compare: **Current box range** versus **Optimised box range** Providing outputs such as: * Average box utilisation % * Void reduction % * Corrugated reduction % * Estimated cost savings * Reduction in number of box SKUs * Carbon impact reduction * Shipping efficiency improvements *** *Reporting & Outputs* The system should generate: Dashboard View Including: * Order analysis summary * Utilisation metrics * Recommended box range * Key savings metrics Export Functionality Ability to export: * Excel reports * PDF summaries * Recommended box specifications * Optimisation results *** User Interface Requirements The application must: * Be clean and modern * Follow Carlton Packaging branding * Be suitable for customer-facing demonstrations * Support drag-and-drop file upload * Include charts and visualisations * Be intuitive for non-technical users We would welcome recommendations on the most suitable platform, for example: * Web application * Cloud-hosted solution * Desktop application * Hybrid approach Preference is for a web-based solution, but we would consider a desktop application. *** Future Development Opportunities While not essential for Phase 1, it would be beneficial if the architecture allows future addition of: * AI-assisted box recommendations * Pallet optimisation * Carrier dimensional weight calculations * Sustainability reporting * FEFCO recommendations * Packaging material recommendations * API integration with e-commerce platforms * Automated CAD output *** *Ideal Developer Experience* We are looking for developers with experience in one or more of the following: * Cartonisation software * 3D bin packing algorithms * Warehouse management systems * Logistics optimisation * Packaging engineering tools * Supply chain analytics * E-commerce fulfilment software Please provide examples of any similar projects completed. *** Deliverables * Fully functioning software/application * Source code ownership transferred to Carlton Packaging * Documentation and user guide * Installation/deployment support * Testing and bug fixing * Future enhancement roadmap (optional) *** Proposal Requirements Please include: 1. Relevant experience and examples of similar projects. 2. Recommended technology stack. 3. Proposed approach for the cartonisation/optimisation algorithm. 4. Estimated timescale. 5. Fixed-price quotation. 6. Ongoing support options. About Carlton Packaging Carlton Packaging is one of leading packaging design and supply companies across UK, EU and USA, specialising in transit packaging, e-commerce packaging, automation, sustainability and packaging optimisation solutions. This tool will form part of our customer value proposition and may be deployed across a broad range of customers and sectors. **We are looking for a long-term development partner, not simply a one-off freelancer.**