Pallet software is a kind of computer program that helps workers and supervisors find the best way to load shipping pallets. This type of software tool might be called “Pallet Maker” software or pallet design software according to its features. Pallet software helps planners to deal with different pallet types and other warehouse equipment in industrial environments where a large amount of material gets shipped in or out of a facility.
Pallets are floor-standing platforms that workers load up with all kinds of materials and containers. Pallets might hold single large drums, or many interlocking boxes or pieces of a product. Pallets are nearly universal in some kinds of storage and shipping industries.
Generally, workers physically load pallets with a specific type of product. They may wrap or bind the product to the pallet in order to provide more physical security for what is stacked onto a single pallet. A forklift or other piece of equipment can transport a pallet to a truck for shipping, or to a storage area.
Pallet software helps by providing good modeling for best pallet loading practices. Pallet software will often include help for spatial design, where the computer counts up how many boxes or items can safely fit on a pallet, and how they should be stacked. Pallet software may also include handy features for help with weight calculations, in order to show how much can safely be stacked onto a pallet.
Pallet management software is a good example of how technical tools can help enhance physical industrial processes. Some managers and planners might consider pallet software to be a small part of a more general strategy for “logistics” within a particular industrial environment or company. A large service industry has grown up around the idea of enhanced logistics, where consultants may include pallet loading software as part of a package for better overall materials handling.
Some experts involved in industrial processes might also use the term “pallet software” to refer to the technical tools that engineers use to build pallets. Software can also be helpful in pallet design, where engineers look at specific weight and load vector issues to ensure that pallets are built correctly. Pallet creation software may be useful to the specific companies that make these industrial tools, but not to the average shipping company that buys them pre-made from a dedicated supplier.