ⓒ Real Packing

Now it’s time to take a look at a Korean business bringing about changes in the global economy with some new ideas. 

Today, we’re going to introduce Inbet, a provider of an innovative logistics service designed to send customers videos of the process of packaging products they ordered. Let’s hear from company CEO Kim Jong-cheol. 

Inbet has provided IT solutions and services to e-commerce companies since its establishment in 2008. The firm has focused on a platform to record videos of product packaging since 2016. I’ve witnessed how the e-commerce business has evolved. In the process, laws and systems to protect purchasers have continuously been created and improved, while those for sellers haven’t. When disputes arose, large sales platforms, and even delivery companies, would ask sellers to solve the problems. In most cases, sellers had to accept the demand. I thought it would be necessary to film videos of the product packaging process as evidence, in preparation for potential disputes. 

Kim had conducted research on e-commerce companies and provided relevant consulting services since the mid-2000s. Having seen many online shopping malls suffering economic losses from disputes with customers, he wondered how to solve the problem. He came up with a system called “Real Packing” that transmits videos of packaging to customers, in the belief that a reliable product packaging and release management will be beneficial for both consumers and sellers. 

Real Packing is designed to record a video of the packaging process in accordance with each order. The videos can be used for dealing with claims against goods or drawing up marketing plans. Filming begins when you scan the barcode on the shipping label. In addition to barcodes, various onsite signals can also be used for recording. If a wrong product is packed, Real Packing notifies the manager of the incorrect packaging to prevent the wrong goods from being delivered. The recorded videos can be searched online, if users have basic information. The videos can be shared by buyers, sales platforms and logistics firms to prevent or settle disputes quickly. 

Consumers find online shopping very convenient, as they can buy things regardless of time and place. But they can’t really check the products they’ve ordered until they receive them. The wrong products might be delivered, and the goods could be damaged in the delivery process. Problems like these will cause delays in delivery. But consumers have to endure the inconvenience. 

Sellers, for their part, find it hard to know how the delivery went wrong or why the goods were damaged, even though they sent the proper items in their proper packages. In that case, they have to send the same goods again, despite financial losses. 

Real Packing remedied these shortcomings of online shopping. Customers can make sure that the products they ordered have been packed and sent without any problem, while sellers can prove that there was nothing wrong when the goods were sent out. 

Many disputes were settled through Real Packing videos. There are too many such cases to name. Most logistics centers have installed CCTV. But with CCTV footage, it’s really difficult to find a particular packaging scene. 

Even if the scene is found, the image should be cut for editing before being sent to customers. Customers also find it very hard to identify if that it is the real image of the product they ordered. Even if they accept the result, it takes at least three hours to deal with one single claim. Through Real Packing, in comparison, it takes just 30 seconds to review the video and handle the problem. We also found that simply sending Real Packing videos to customers reduces customer complaints related to delivery by more than 85 percent. 

Recording does not require any particular process or additional labor. It does not slow the packaging process, either. Workers at logistics centers may work in the same way as they have done so far. The Real Packing system is connected with the centers’ management program, so recording proceeds automatically and the videos are transmitted to consumers in just five seconds via short message service or the so-called Notification Talk that allows companies to send information to consumers. 

Inbet has visited some 500 logistics centers to learn how the work proceeds there. Based on the experience, the company developed this efficient system that can be attuned to about 120 different working patterns. 

ⓒ Real Packing

Even if enterprise resource planning or order management systems have an error, workers can still continue to work and check the data later. But Real Packing is inseparable from the work. That is, if Real Packing does not work properly at a particular moment, it is impossible to record a video of packaging at that very moment. So, to operate a system like Real Packing, it should be ready in perfect conditions. It was very challenging to develop a system with a near-zero defect rate. 

Also, a service like Real Packing should be synchronized with the working environment at logistics centers, so workers do their jobs while videos are filmed by order without a hitch. 

We’re proud of these two technologies, which made Real Packing a perfect solution to be sought after by many companies, including large ones. 

The Real Packing service can be used overseas as well. In February, Inbet began to provide the service to customers in the U.S., Japan, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand. Riding on the global popularity of Korean pop culture, an increasing number of foreign consumers are purchasing things directly from Korea. In line with growing global demand for Korean products, including K-pop idol goods and daily necessities, customer complaints are also on the rise. It is a lot more difficult to settle disputes that have occurred overseas, due to the language and cultural barrier as well as different time zones. Also, returns and exchanges cost much. Thanks to Inbet’s Real Packing, many Korean companies are now able to prevent potential disputes with consumers abroad. Foreign consumers also feel comfortable buying Korean products. 

We’re confident that an era of contactless businesses will arrive soon. If people refrain from face-to-face meetings, they cannot share a lot of information. Less information may cause more disputes and subsequently make people unhappy. In an era of contact-free businesses, we hope to contribute to reducing disputes, enhancing transparency in logistics and increasing trust between buyers and sellers. This is our vision and mission.

Buying and selling things online has become a daily routine. Inbet is adding trust to this convenience that we enjoy. We’re looking forward to the future of the company, which is growing into Korea’s leading logistics service firm.