How do you know your packaging process would benefit from automation? Is it costing you money to 
package the way you do now? Could you be saving more capital you’d invest elsewhere in your business for future growth?
Take a look at some signs your company would benefit from automating your packaging process below:
- Your Cost of Labor
How much does labor cost you to package your products? If your costs are driving your profit margins down, you may be ready for automated packaging. It has an up-front cost. But the machinery costs much less to maintain than it does to pay employees over the long haul.
- The Type of Product You Package
If you package a similar product with the same size and shape repeatedly, you may be ready for automated packaging. However, it doesn’t make sense if you have different-size and shape products because that boosts machinery costs. Manual labor makes more sense if you routinely package products that vary in size.
- You Can’t Meet Customer Demand
Have you lost customers because you can’t keep up with what they need? Do you have difficulty training and managing temporary workers so you can continually meet what your customers order?
If keeping up with customer demand feels like an impossible task, you may be ready for automation.
- It’s Been Too Long Since You Last Audited Your Processes
You use manual labor to a great extent now. Your company has grown rapidly in recent years. When that happens, it’s easy to make snap decisions just to meet demand and keep the customer happy. You keep doing this for some time so you continue to grow.
It’s a good problem to have. Once things settle down, consider auditing your own processes. You may be running quite inefficiently, and especially so with your labor costs. And automation may make more sense at this point.
- Your Packaging Line Can’t Keep Up with Manufacturing Output
Whether you’re the manufacturer, or if you purchase the product from someone who makes it more cost-effectively, if you can’t package fast enough to keep up with the product you receive, you have a problem. You can hire more staff. But then it costs more time and money to manage everyone. It also adds more stress too.
Consider investing in packaging automation at this point instead.
Concerned about the cost and efficiency of your packaging processes? Call Pollock at 855.239.5153 today.