3 Common Packaging Issues That Slow Teams Down After the Holidays

The weeks after the holidays are often when warehouse teams feel pressure the most. Order volume shifts, staffing adjusts, and processes that worked fine in peak season suddenly start to show cracks. For Buyers and Purchasing Managers, this is usually when packaging problems become harder to ignore.

Whether you work with a Packaging Vendor or a Packaging Supplier in California, the same issues tend to appear year after year. The good news is that these problems are usually tied to the warehouse process and packaging process, not the people doing the work.

Here are three common packaging issues that slow teams down after the holidays and how a packaging audit for the new year can help fix them.

1. Packaging Materials That No Longer Match What You Are Shipping

One of the most common post holiday issues is using the same packaging materials even though what you are shipping has changed. During peak season, teams often adjust packaging on the fly to keep orders moving. Boxes get upsized, void fill gets doubled, and materials are swapped without documentation.

After the holidays, those temporary fixes often become the new normal.

This creates problems like wasted material, slower pack times, and inconsistent protection. In industrial packaging environments, these inefficiencies add up quickly and impact labor, storage space, and freight costs.

A packaging audit helps identify where materials no longer align with current products. This is one of the most effective ways to understand how to choose the right packaging and how to avoid packaging issues before they affect daily operations. A 2026 packaging audit should always include a review of what changed during peak season and what needs to be reset.

2. Inventory Gaps and Overstock From Poor Vendor Management

Another issue that shows up after the holidays is inventory imbalance. Some packaging items run out unexpectedly while others sit untouched on racks. This often happens when Vendor Management is reactive instead of planned.

Without clear visibility, Buyers and Purchasing Managers may order too much of one item and not enough of another. This creates delays on the floor and extra work for teams trying to source materials last minute.

VMI or Vendor Managed Inventory can help reduce these problems, but only if it is reviewed regularly. A packaging audit for the new year should include an inventory review that looks at usage trends, minimum levels, and how often adjustments are made.

If you work with a Packaging Supplier regular inventory check ins can support a smoother warehouse process without adding complexity for your team.

3. Packaging Processes That Depend on Tribal Knowledge

After the holidays, many teams discover that packaging processes rely too heavily on specific people. Temporary workers leave, schedules change, and suddenly no one is sure why things are done a certain way.

This slows down training, increases errors, and makes it harder to maintain consistency across shifts.

A strong packaging process should be easy to follow and easy to repeat. A packaging audit is a good opportunity to document standards, clarify material choices, and make sure instructions reflect how work actually happens on the floor.

For Buyers and Purchasing Managers, this also supports better decisions when evaluating how to choose a packaging supplier. A good Packaging Supplier should understand your warehouse process and help simplify it, not add more steps.

Why a Packaging Audit Matters Going Into the New Year

A packaging audit for the new year is not about finding fault. It is about understanding what changed, what still works, and what is slowing teams down.

As 2026 approaches, many teams are planning ahead to avoid the same issues they faced this year. A 2026 packaging audit gives you a clear starting point to improve efficiency, reduce confusion, and support your teams without overhauling everything at once.

Whether you are working with a Packaging Vendor or evaluating a new Packaging Supplier, taking time to review your packaging process now can prevent problems later.

Packaging should support your operation, not slow it down. The best improvements often come from small adjustments made at the right time.