Startup Idea: Optimized Pallet Packing Software for Logistics

Startup idea to develop an optimized pallet packing software. The software would automate the process of putting together orders of specific medical equipment for international shipping, determining the most efficient box and pallet placement for decreased shipping costs. It's like the app playing 'tetris' with the boxes to achieve the smallest pallet size and thus, the lowest shipping cost.

My industry is in logistics.

The current contract has us shipping products for hospitals, internationally. The pieces are mostly cardiac based, but there are some critical care/surigical work pieces, too. However, 70% of the orders are for chest drains, aortic catheters, etc..

The products are all in boxes that haven't changed sizes in years. There are specific thresholds in quantities that can fit in these boxes. Yet we still have a problem where salesmen call in to get quotes on pallet/box counts for orders. This is a pain because of the 93 current employees, I'm the only one that can visualize and give a quote within a few minutes. The other employees either put the order together (which can take days depending on the order's size) or they'll ask me for help.

Because each item MUST be put into specific boxes (i.e. OM-10000 in a quantity of 3-5 pieces MUST be put into a box that measures 28X26X17) and because each pallet MUST be 48 inches long, 40 inches wide, and a maximum height of 64 inches, I don't see why software can't put the measurements together to get an automatic quote AND a listing of which boxes and what order they must be put on a pallet (as though the app played tetris with the boxes, to get the smallest pallet possible, for the lowest shipping cost).