- 1. With unemployment at its lowest rate in years (3.9% as of2018), finding, training and retaining labor is becoming increasingly difficult. As the demand for warehouse positions increases, the pool of full-time and seasonal workers continues to get smaller. Introducing automation into your packaging operation allows you to decrease your labor requirements; which reduces payroll and the recruiting strain on your HR department.
2. Your Labor Costs are Going Up — A byproduct of decreased labor availability is increased labor rates due to competitive demand. Labor is typically the single biggest cost of doing business, and higher wages are having a significant impact on the bottom line. Incorporating automation into your packaging operation gives you more control over rising labor costs, and allows you to allocate existing labor to more value-added functions.
3. You’re Working Beyond Capacity
Struggling to keep up with customer demand? Launching additional products? Unable to take on larger contracts? Then it may be time for your business to consider automation. Investing in automation can be essential to company growth, especially as ecommerce continues to grow at a rapid pace. Automating your packaging operation can increase capacity, produce more packages in less time and allow you to confidently take on new, larger contracts/orders. It’s important to evaluate your operational needs when deciding which machinery is right for your business. While investing in automation can have a significant upfront cost, it’s important to consider the payback period, total cost of ownership and the positive impact automation will have for many years to come.
4. You’ve Identified Waste in Your Production Line
Lean initiatives are an ongoing trend with many businesses, and waste is often at the top of the list. Whether it’s using too much material to produce and package your product, human error that slows production, or inefficient cycle times, when you need to run lean, automation is most likely the best method for achieving your goals. Automating even a portion of your packaging operation can significantly increase your efficiency while reducing operating costs.
5. You Need to Improve Order Accuracy and Efficiency
As more people shop online, creating a memorable customer experience has never been more important. Positive and negative experiences are being shared immediately on social media and can have a tremendous impact on brand image and perception. By integrating automation into a packaging operation, you’re guaranteeing consistent quality. That automation can be as simple as having a consistent seal on a bag with every order processed, so your package looks good and you reduce losses in transit. Or, automation can mean having verified checkpoints throughout the packaging process at the item, label and order level. Automating your packaging operation provides peace of mind knowing that your customers are being well served.