How to handle your board game logistic?

Hey again dear Board Game Developers,

I hope you're having a great time while waiting for Christmas :)

In this post I'll talk about something that rarely comes up when you share knowledge about board game development.

LOGISTIC... a super important word if you're building board games yourself!

I've had the "pleasure" of many headaches when it comes to the logistics of all the board game pieces, boxes and prints I've ordered through the last 2-3 months.

So let's go through some of the situations and problems you might face - when dealing with your board game logistic.
 

---

Amount and size
First off - you need to know exactly how many of everything you need to make 1 complete game.

I have covered some of this topic in several other posts.. why I only want to point out the importance of you keeping track of everything you order.

Make sure you have an Excel document or similar where you write down orders, dates, address of deliveries, amounts and size on the deliveries.
 

Where?
If you (like me) can't store your board games in your home - you'll need some space somewhere else. I'm lucky to have great parents with a huge house where I can store probably my first 500 board games without problems.

I'll recommend you to try and find a friend, family member or the likes where you can store your game components "for free" or where you can pay in kind.

Starting out by renting a storage slot/room is not the best idea - since that'll be a monthly expense which demands monthly sales. Try to minimize those expenses in the beginning (then I'll leave the money talk for another post).
 

 
Remember
No matter where you store your board games it has to be with easy access - Especially if you're storing components and have to assemble the board games by order.
 

---

Who and how?
I've ordered board game pieces from many countries and companies which means that I also have some assembling to do - whenever I'm going to sell a board game.

If you're in the same situation - you have to take these things into account otherwise you might find yourself running around like a decapitated chicken.

I've collected a few questions you should ask yourself - based on my attempts to get a logical/easy/low cost assembly line established for my own board game production.

Think about....

• Who's going to assemble your board games?
• Where can you assemble the board games in peace without having to pack and unpack all the time?
• Do the deliveries end up at the same place or do you have to transport them yourself?
• How many different pieces are we talking about and how will you transport/pack them?
• How many board games can you bring with you - and how much does it cost to ship them?

Remember
Every mile you drive with or without board games in your bag is an expense in the overall financial view.
So you might as well focus on minimizing this from the beginning...

I think that'll be all for now - Happy gaming! :)
 

---

---