Within the coronary heart of the Pacific Northwest, a frozen vegetable packaging firm confronted a rising problem: discovering and retaining employees for tedious, repetitive end-of-line duties. Being in a rural space, their labor pool was restricted, making hiring tough and turnover excessive. To take care of and scale their operations, they turned to automation—and after two years of exploration, they lastly took the leap.
The ache level: labor shortages and operational constraints
Working two shifts a day, six days every week, this firm had a devoted operator on the finish of every of their 4 packaging strains. The issue? Recruiting and retaining folks in these roles was an ongoing battle. They knew automation may remedy this challenge, however they wanted an answer that made monetary sense and match inside their house constraints.
Their supreme return on funding (ROI) goal was 12 months, however given the severity of their labor challenges, they have been keen to stretch to 18 months. Ultimately, the automation answer they selected got here in just below their unique 12-month ROI objective—making the choice a simple one as soon as inside approvals have been secured.
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Selecting the best automation answer
Past fixing labor shortages, this firm had three key automation necessities:
- Compact Footprint – A big centralized palletizer wasn’t an possibility. They wanted a system that match inside their current house whereas permitting for future enlargement.
- Ease of Use – With no in-house robotic programmers, they wanted a system easy sufficient for his or her present staff to function and troubleshoot.
- Scalability – Their SKUs various in run charges, weights, and capacities, in order that they wanted a versatile system that would deal with numerous product sorts effectively.
Over time, our robotic capabilities advanced to fulfill their wants. The power to carry out multi-pick operations and deal with further weight made automation a good higher match. After seeing our options at Pack Expo for 2 years in a row, they knew we have been the suitable companion.
The lesson: don’t wait to automate
This firm, like many others, waited years earlier than making the leap to automation. In hindsight, that delay price them money and time. If they’d applied automation two years earlier, they’d have already recouped their funding and seen further effectivity beneficial properties.
For firms contemplating automation, the important thing takeaway is obvious: Begin early. Begin small if wanted, however begin. Doing nothing means dropping out on productiveness, effectivity, and value financial savings that would compound over time.
This firm’s story is a testomony to the facility of automation in overcoming workforce challenges and setting the stage for long-term development. Should you’re dealing with comparable struggles, don’t wait—discover your choices immediately.
