About · Our process
How we choose the right packaging machine
Wondering how Whittaker Packaging Solutions chooses the right packaging machine for your operation? It starts with a phone call, ends with a machine that suits your line, and includes everything in between that stops a wrong-fit recommendation getting made.
The WPS team treats application validation as the foundation of every sale. We'd rather lose a quote than sell a machine that doesn't suit. That sounds obvious, but it isn't always how the market works.
This page walks through what happens between your first enquiry and a quote landing in your inbox.
Why it matters
Why the process matters
The most expensive packaging machine is the wrong one. The brief we hear repeatedly from buyers is "I bought the cheapest option and it cost me twice as much over two years."
Approximately 70 years of combined experience inside the WPS team tells us why. A pallet wrapper sized for the wrong throughput chews through film. A strapping machine specified for the wrong tension breaks the strap or the load. A carton sealer that doesn't suit your case profile jams every hour.
The process below is built to catch that before you've spent money.
The process, step by step
Step 1 · Phone consultation
The first conversation is free and over the phone, usually 15-30 minutes. The WPS team listens to what you're packing, how much, where, and what your current setup looks like. It serves two purposes: we get enough to give you an honest read on what's likely to suit, and you get to test whether the WPS team is the right fit before committing to anything. If the right answer is "the supplier you've got is fine" or "you don't need a new machine, you need a service", we'll say so.
Step 2 · Application validation
Most enquiries need a structured set of questions answered before a machine can be properly recommended. For pallet wrappers, the WPS team works through the application detail below; for strapping and carton equipment the question set changes but the principle doesn't. We ask until we have enough to recommend properly, then stop. Some enquiries are validated entirely by phone or email, others need a site visit.
Step 3 · On-site validation visit when it's needed
When the application is complex, the throughput significant, or the environment has specifics that matter, the WPS team books an on-site visit. Site visits are free at this stage. It's much easier to specify the right machine, and to diagnose existing equipment, when we've stood next to your line.
Step 4 · Proposal
After the consultation and validation, the WPS team puts together a proposal: machine recommendation, the reasoning behind it, what's included (delivery, installation, commissioning and operator training are bundled on own-brand sales), and a price. Where two or more machines fit, we'll show you both and explain the trade-offs: cheaper upfront versus lower running cost, faster cycle time versus more operator involvement, manual override versus full automation. Pricing context is qualitative at this stage, scaling with throughput, automation level and footprint. We'll talk you through the numbers, including finance options if you'd prefer to spread the cost.
Application validation: the pallet wrapper question set
For pallet wrappers specifically, the WPS team works through:
Pallets per day at current throughput and projected throughput
Maximum pallet weight
Maximum pallet height
Maximum and minimum pallet dimensions
Loading method (forklift, electric jack, hand truck)
Whether you need a ramp
Whether you need integrated scales
The product being wrapped (stable, light, awkward, mixed)
The operating environment (cold room, wet area, outdoor, polished concrete, uneven floor)
What happens during an on-site visit
Walk the line with you, see the actual operation in motion
Measure pallet sizes, loading approaches and traffic flow
Look at existing equipment, including units we didn't supply
Discuss operator skill mix and shift patterns
Identify the environmental factors that paper specifications don't capture
What you can expect from the WPS team
A few things you should be able to count on:
Honest answers, including when the answer isn't what you wanted to hear
A recommendation that suits your line, not our margin
Application questions answered up front, not after the deposit's in
A site visit when it's the right call, no pressure to commit
Pricing context that respects your time
We won't quote without enough information to stand behind the recommendation.
After the sale
The process doesn't end at delivery. Own-brand sales include installation, commissioning and operator training as part of the price.
After installation, the WPS team supports the machine for the life of the equipment. Preventative maintenance agreements are available. Typical breakdown response is 24-48 hours during business hours, especially in our key service hubs. Spare parts are available for own-brand machines and most quality competitor units.
Talk to Whittaker Packaging Solutions
Start with a phone call. It's the quickest way to find out whether we're the right fit and what your options look like. If a site visit makes sense, we'll book one; if we can answer everything on the phone, we will. Book a free on-site validation visit and one of the WPS team will get to you.
FAQs
Common questions
We start with a phone consultation, work through a structured application validation, book an on-site visit when it's needed, and then put together a proposal. The whole process is built to catch wrong-fit recommendations before they get made.