A White Paper for mpaqt Storage and Fulfillment Services
Intro to Element One and Our Shipping Problems
Element One began as a research and development company specializing in colorimetric indicators for gas leaks—materials that visibly change color in the presence of certain gases. We began selling our initial product, DetecTape, directly through our website. Before our partnership with mpaqt, we were responsible for both the manufacturing as well as all packaging and shipping.
This additional responsibility of managing manufacturing, packaging, and shipping placed a significant strain on our small team, as we lacked the personnel to manage the increased workload. Limited funds also made it challenging to hire new staff to handle these duties. As a result, one of our full-time research engineers was regularly diverted from core research projects to package and ship products whenever orders came in. This process required multiple hours each week, with time-consuming trips to shipping hubs across Denver, many on the opposite side of the city.
Logistics presented further complications, especially with international shipping. Our engineers, focused on research, lacked the expertise to manage the complexities of global shipping requirements, from creating accurate labels to handling customs documentation. The hours spent on these tasks took away valuable time from research and development for new products.
We shared these operational challenges with business partners, who ultimately introduced us to mpaqt.
Discovering mpaqt and Their Community-Focused Approach
mpaqt is a specialized storage and fulfillment partner dedicated to helping businesses streamline operations and focus on growth. They combine professionalism, responsiveness, and flexibility with a strong commitment to building community and fostering trust. This community-focused approach sets mpaqt apart, as they view their clients not just as customers but as collaborators working toward shared success.
Beyond their operational efficiency, mpaqt prioritizes relationships, understanding that their work directly impacts their clients’ reputations and customer satisfaction. Their team integrates easily with clients’ workflows, automating processes and handling logistics with care. By partnering with mpaqt, businesses can focus on innovation and growth, confident in a fulfillment partner that values both precision and partnership.
Our decision to work with mpaqt was driven by several factors. Most importantly, mpaqt offered a combination of expertise, value, and seamless communication that set them apart. Alex, the CEO, and the rest of the mpaqt team consistently answered questions within their areas of expertise and diligently researched topics where they needed additional information. Their professionalism gave us confidence to include them in conversations with our existing customers, knowing they would protect and even enhance Element One’s reputation. For a startup, one poor professional interaction can leave a lasting, negative impact, so this level of professionalism was invaluable.
How mpaqt Streamlined Our Fulfillment Operations
While we anticipated the time savings, the true value added by mpaqt quickly surpassed our initial expectations. We knew that assigning packaging and shipping to an engineer was inefficient, but the extent of this inefficiency became clear only when the engineer was freed to focus on product development. The time saved had a profound impact on productivity, allowing our team to make faster progress on research and new product initiatives.
Working with mpaqt also brought professional benefits to our order fulfillment. As a small business, we needed flexibility to adjust orders quickly. With frequently changing product offerings, samples, packaging, and labels, having a fulfillment partner like mpaqt was ideal. Unlike a traditional fulfillment center where changes require navigating customer service and waiting for approvals, mpaqt’s structure allowed us to email the fulfillment team directly to make updates immediately. This flexibility helped Element One meet customer needs quickly and present a polished, professional front.
Quantifying the Impact and Building for the Future
To quantify the efficiency gains, consider this: previously, we were paying an engineer $50 per hour to package products, print labels, and ship orders. A single order could take up to three hours to complete, costing us around $150 per order. In contrast, mpaqt can handle fulfillment for a fraction of this cost—roughly the price of lunch. Their efficiency has drastically reduced our shipping and handling costs, increasing profitability while allowing our engineers to focus on their core expertise.
It makes sense to allocate tasks according to skill and efficiency. Skilled tasks belong to those with the right expertise; unskilled tasks should be outsourced to specialists. At Element One, we were dedicating valuable hours to work that fell outside our team’s skill set. Partnering with mpaqt has allowed us to return to what we do best, while they handle the fulfillment side with the skill, professionalism, and efficiency they’re known for.
Thanks to mpaqt’s seamless operations, we were able to entrust them with fulfillment without concerns about quality or communication. Element One is proud to grow alongside mpaqt and fully trusts them with all our current and future packaging and shipping needs. Their work is exceptional. We couldn’t imagine a better partner.