Portion Control Packs Simplify Training

Along with ease-of-use benefits, manufacturers recommend that distributors focus on ease of training when promoting these products. This can mitigate the impact of high employee turnover rates — a familiar concern for many end user customers.

“Portion control packs are a tremendous training aid,” says Everitt. “The colors of the products match the colors of the applicators, such as trigger sprayers and mop buckets. The system also has visual cues that coordinate with the color-coding system, so if the cleaning staff speaks a language other than English, Spanish or French, they can still be trained efficiently.”

According to Everitt, the effectiveness of this training system can simplify large-sale rollouts of pre-measured chemicals across multiple buildings.

“With wall-mounted systems, it could take weeks or months to install the dispensers and convert everybody to the system,” he says. “With pre-measured packs, you can simply put the product into everybody’s hands, along with the appropriate trigger sprayer, and they can all start on the same day.”

While colors and pictographs can help custodians easily identify the correct product, distributors are wise to emphasize that the size of the pack itself can play a role in preventing mix-ups, too.

“Users are less likely to make a mistake because our packs are formulated for a 32-ounce bottle and a mop bucket,” Seneca explains. “For example, you can’t take a pack for a mop bucket and put it in a quart bottle because it won’t fit through the neck of the bottle.”

Waste Not, Want Not

One of the ways distributors can promote pre-portioned chemicals is to address the overarching topic of waste reduction.

“It’s good, common sense to try and correct wasteful practices wherever you find them,” says Everitt.

According to manufacturers, custodians are more likely to use the right amount of solution when using pre-measured pouches, resulting in less wasted product. Individual packs also support customers’ sustainability efforts by reducing the amount of packaging.

“With ready-to-use products, there’s a huge waste factor involved,” says Stets. “Even if you’re recycling, that’s a massive volume of plastic and cardboard that you’re paying for to go out the back door.”

Pre-portioned chemical manufacturers can fit the equivalent of 100-plus quart bottles of cleaning product inside a carton about the size of a shoebox — a powerful visual image for sales reps to share with customers when promoting these products.

“The size and weight difference between pouches and ready-to-use products is dramatic,” says Chambers. “Distributors can easily show their customers that this box, which weighs very little, is equivalent to 100 quarts of glass cleaner.”

The reduced size of the pouches and secondary packaging is a bonus for end users who have limited storage space for cleaning supplies. More importantly, customers can realize significant savings in transportation costs.

“Right now, everyone’s paying an arm and a leg for shipping,” notes Seneca. “There’s a huge savings in that aspect alone for distributors and their customers. Right off the bat you’re not paying for water — and a gallon of water weighs eight pounds. Distributors should make sure they emphasize that cost savings to the end users.”

Keeping Tabs

In addition to the advantages of portion control, pre-measured packs can simplify inventory control by allowing customers to easily keep track of how many packages are distributed and to whom.

“You’d be amazed at how many people don’t know what they’re spending on their chemicals,” says Stets. “My customers know. They can tell you exactly what they’re spending at any given time because they’re able to count their inventory.”

This ensures that customers never have too much product on hand — and on the flip side they’ll never run out of product before the next shipment arrives.

Keeping tabs on portion control packs also enables customers to detect and resolve issues early on, such as pilfering, as well as overuse or under-use of chemicals.

“The only reason customers should run out of product is if they aren’t using it the right way,” says Seneca. “If end users receive 100 packs of floor cleaner and they run out in 50 days, they’re using too many. If for any reason there’s a deviation of inventory, customers are able to uncover the problem and fix it so that they can maximize their investment.”

When it comes to inventory management, customers appreciate the transparency that pre-portioned packs afford, say manufacturers. This advantage, as well as the plethora of other benefits, makes pre-portioned packages a prudent choice during these changing times.

Kassandra Kania is based out of Charlotte, North Carolina and is a frequent contributor to Sanitary Maintenance.