Sprick Insights: Sustainable, reliable, standardized
AUTODOC optimizes its shipping processes across all locations with Papier Sprick
With more than 50,000 orders per day and 7.8 million items in its product range – from small spare parts to bulky vehicle components – AUTODOC, Europe’s leading online retailer of automotive spare parts and accessories, faces the daily challenge of packaging and shipping a wide variety of products safely, efficiently, and sustainably.
For shipping to 27 European countries, the company was looking for a solution that would meet product protection requirements while combining process reliability, material savings, dependability, and sustainability. AUTODOC found the right partner in Papier Sprick: “I would say it’s an almost perfect partnership. We have the same mindset, we work together as partners, and we have grown together. I think that is one of the most important indicators of a reliable and trustworthy collaboration. There is a very open feedback dialogue between us, we listen to each other and are willing to implement the suggestions for improvement that we share with each other,” said Sebastian Bleser, Vice President Supply Chain at AUTODOC.
In this interview, Sebastian Bleser explains how the collaboration with Papier Sprick works and what makes for a good partnership.
Would you like to find out how we can support you as a strong partner? Send us a message and we’ll get back to you.
Would you like to find out how we can support you as a strong partner? Send us a message and we’ll get back to you.
Process and packaging optimization
AUTODOC operates logistics centers in Germany, Poland, Czechia, Belgium – and soon also in Great Britain. The same processes and systems apply everywhere. With the introduction of SpeedMany® Flex at all locations and the additional use of PaperJet® in Berlin, the processes for transport protection of different products have been largely standardized and made more efficient.
The switch from corrugated cardboard rolls to paper padding, for example, led to significant material savings and created several thousand additional pallet spaces per year. With the high-performance PaperJet®, the padding volume is produced “just in time” directly at the packing station, eliminating the need to store corrugated cardboard rolls.
Even challenging items – such as batteries or oil canisters – are now packaged more securely and with less material as part of a continuous packaging optimization process. In addition, the packaging process has been noticeably accelerated. “We went through the items together to see where there were challenges and where the process was getting stuck. Our goal was to optimize both – better product protection for transport and faster processes that increase efficiency. With a uniform, paper-based solution, we were able to ensure suitable transport protection for everything from small parts to oil canisters and establish it at our international locations – efficiently, safely, and with only one consumable,” explains Pia Sophie Stellbrink from Papier Sprick.
Reliability
Another goal of the international shipping company was to ensure a constant supply of materials and the use of reliable systems at the packing stations in the shipping centers. This is where SpeedMan® Flex came into play, which is characterized by particularly simple and intuitive operation and keeps maintenance requirements to a minimum.
At the same time, the supply of recycled paper in the form of the familiar SpeedMan® rolls is predictable and can be coordinated across locations. Even short-term adjustments, such as changes in demand, can be easily implemented thanks to weekly truck deliveries from Papier Sprick’s own paper mill. AUTODOC is thus relying on a reliable solution and a long-term partnership that allows new logistics locations to be seamlessly integrated while ensuring process reliability, consistency, and speed.
One point of contact = the manufacturer
The decision to work directly with the manufacturer was a key factor for AUTODOC. “When we look for a supplier, we’re not just looking for a seller, but for a partner. We look for someone who shares a similar mindset. We are practical, fast, agile, and want to ensure that we remain innovative. This means that we need a partner who thinks the same way, can understand our train of thought, and supports our ideas and concepts. And we have found that Sprick is exactly the partner we want to work with,” said Sebastian Bleser. Thanks to the close cooperation with Papier Sprick, we now have a central contact person who manages and ensures both the provision of systems and the supply of materials at all European locations.
This direct communication reduces interfaces and enables quick coordination, clear processes, and sustainable relief for the customer — from systems to consumables.
Sustainability
With paper-based solutions made from 100% recycled paper, Papier Sprick supports AUTODOC in achieving its goal of “Smart Waste & Packaging Solutions”: Standardized, tailor-made product protection and the avoidance of fresh fibers, optical brighteners, and harmful additives reduce material usage, conserve resources, and prevent waste. In 2024 alone, more than 5,000 trees were saved from deforestation because recycled material from Papier Sprick was used instead of virgin fiber paper.
The result is a partnership that combines sustainability, efficiency, and growth—and sets standards in the shipping process throughout Europe. “Sprick has proven to be a reliable partner when it comes to improving our packaging, reducing our carbon footprint, and continuously optimizing our packaging concept by eliminating plastics, increasing our recycling rate, and ultimately reducing our environmental impact,” summarizes Sebastian Bleser.
The result: uniform systems and procedures across Europe, greater process reliability, significantly less material, gained storage space, and a reliable supply—all supported by a central contact person at the manufacturer. AUTODOC is thus standardizing its packaging across national borders and combining efficiency with genuine resource conservation.
Find out straight away how you can optimise your dispatch and packing processes:
We’ll package your product
Please send your product to the following address and we will return it to you safely using our packaging solution:
Sprick GmbH & Co.
Test Packaging
Hanfstraße 23
33607 Bielefeld
Germany
Please remember to provide us with a contact person and include a return address with the parcel. Alternatively, you can fill in this PDF and include it with the parcel.
Non-binding live presentation
Find out about the features of our systems in a personalised online presentation and ask any questions you may have. Simply request an appointment and we’ll get in touch with you!
What you can take away with you
How can I standardise and optimise my packing process?
Shipping processes are diverse and have a wide range of requirements depending on the shipper and products. A customised packaging solution helps to optimise the processes at and around the packing table. This allows uniform operating procedures to be established, goods to be reliably protected and productivity to be increased.
How can I reduce returns?
To avoid transport damage and the associated returns, product-specific transport protection is necessary. The combination of a void fill or cushioning system and eco-friendly packing paper offers senders many advantages: reliable protection, efficient workflows and a positive unpacking experience for the recipient.
How can I save space when storing packaging materials?
Efficient material storage and provision is crucial for a smooth packing process. Solutions that take up little space in the warehouse and at the packing station, but at the same time provide a large amount of paper, offer great advantages here. We provide our eco-friendly packaging paper in two space-saving designs: as a small SpeedMan® roll or as a ComPackt® continuous pallet with 7,600 running metres on an EPAL storage space.
How can I make my packaging process more sustainable?
Transport packaging made from recycled paper is an eco-friendly alternative to plastic packaging materials such as bubble wrap, foam and packaging chips. With our void fill and cushioning systems along with paper products, we offer a wide range of sustainable transport packaging. The consumables we use consist of recycled paper from our own production. We do not use any virgin fibres or environmentally harmful additives.
