The packaging process is a critical component to many businesses. Packaging can be used to show off the products inside, protect them from damage, and provide information about them. In order for companies to survive and grow it’s essential that managers are in the know, and this includes being aware of the latest technology and innovations.
One area that everyone is talking about relates to the process of automation. In this article, we will explore how it can help improve your packaging process and lead to better outcomes for you and your customers.
What Is Automation?
Automation is what happens when you have a machine performing what was once done by humans. In the past, people would package items in warehouses and factories, ready to be shipped out to consumers.
Today automation has taken over many of these roles because machines can do it more effectively. The different types of automation equipment available include software, hardware, and robotics.
You Can Receive Help And Guidance Along The Way
If you are looking into automation for your company packaging, there are a number of internet blogs, articles and videos that can walk you through the process. Additionally, there is also free guidance from industry professionals who have been working in your particular field of business. Thanks to online forums and more, it’s also possible to ask questions before you commit to purchasing.
Besides viewing the websites of industry specialists, you can also learn a lot from company websites. People who are considering packaging automation from Insite want to learn about recent news and events and explore machinery automation. Folk also want to discover more about case erectors and case sealers, and the level of customer support they would have if they commit.
There Is Less Need For Manual Labor
It can be boring, expensive and time-consuming for employees to do repetitive packaging tasks. They are not mentally stimulating and do not maximize peoples’ skills.
Automation has started to take over the packaging process, and this allows employers to save money on wages.
It Promotes Safety
Automation helps protect employees’ health and wellbeing. If they are not doing physical labor, injuries caused by over-exertion will be reduced or eliminated completely. These medical issues can include back problems and repetitive stress injuries which cost a lot of money to treat in the short term (and even more for insurance companies long term).
Automation resolves the risk of injury by removing people from the equation and giving the work to robots.
There Are Fewer Errors
When human involvement is reduced, the chances of mistakes are lessened. In turn, this means there is less wastage in terms of products and packaging. It’s common for people to be responsible for dropping boxes, and damaged packaging can be responsible for faulty or broken goods. If they are discovered at the warehouse they may be thrown away, but if they are sent out they may generate complaints. It’s an expensive, time-consuming and demoralizing process when customers return their broken goods for a refund or replacement. It could also prevent you from receiving future business from these clients.
If people apply package labels in an unsatisfactory way, they may come off. If this occurs, your packages may not arrive safely at their destinations – generating more complaints. In contrast, the process of automation safeguards and improves customer satisfaction.
It Releases Up Your Staff
If your staff are no longer performing simple packaging tasks, you can make more efficient use of their time. This can improve their morale and levels of enjoyment while they are on the premises. People can be upskilled and developed, such as learning how to maintain and use automation technology. Automation can open up new job roles and provide opportunities for promotion. This can result in welcome pay rises and your staff will feel valued and invested in.
Does automation create unemployment and erode job security? While it is true that there are fewer people in manufacturing roles, unemployment levels have generally stayed the same. Jobs are being replaced by automation but they are also being created at the same time.
It Increases Productivity
If your staff are released up for more important tasks, you can increase your overall output levels. People will also have time to help you with things like your long-term business goals and company marketing and expansion projects.
Can machines and robots do work faster than humans? Research has found that automation can increase productivity by up to 40%. The higher your product output, the greater your profits will be. In-line labeling and barcoding speeds up your production time and simplifies your inventory management. For example, if your business is shipping products daily, automated labeling will enable all of your items’ information to be updated in real-time. This is instead of having someone manually updating each label by hand every day. This means that any mistakes will be caught more quickly.
It’s A Good Investment
By automating your packaging process, you will be streamlining your workflow. The costs will be worth it, as you could see a return on investment in less than two years.
You would enjoy faster delivery times due to less manual involvement. Once again this can contribute directly to customer satisfaction. There is also increased quality control with automatic inspection systems.
It’s Great Tech!
This technology can provide you with valuable data in real-time. This information can be easy to analyze, becoming a valuable tool to steer your business decisions. It’s also easy to integrate automation with existing systems – for example, by connecting it with a warehouse management system or ERP software.
As you can see, automation can be good news for any company that needs to package its products. It’s important to do the research beforehand, to choose the equipment wisely and to stay within budget. Keep your staff onboard and train them well, protecting both their jobs and their safety. In return your company will be more productive, efficient and competitive, having a foundation on which to build your future growth and success.
