“The factory of the future will have only two employees: a man and a dog. The man will be there to feed the dog. The dog will be there to keep the man from touching the equipment.” – American scholar and author Warren G. Bennis
Automated shipping systems don’t quite eliminate the need for a solid workforce, but they do automate shipping processes and streamline operations. The result is less people needed for menial jobs, so your laborers can be used in more productive ways. Simply put: tools that automate shipping processes streamline operations, improve efficiency, and reduce costs while speeding up the process of picking and shipping products. Although these machines are complex, they have many benefits and are worth the investment.
What is Packaging Automation?
In general, packaging automation is any hardware or software capable of streamlining the packaging process. Even something as simple as a conveyor, which most factories utilize, is considered packaging automation; however, the future is now, and there is a world of incredible new automation tools that streamline every part of packaging, from picking to sorting to palleting and more.
Here are some examples of warehouse automation tools currently available:
· Cranes for stacking on racks
· Guided vehicles
· Mail sorters
· Vertical carousels
· Sorting systems
· Robots, including palleting robots, pickers, etc.
· Kitting conveyor lines with check weighers
· Radio data terminals
· Integration software capable of controlling automation machinery
· Operation and business control software capable of identifying deliveries, assigning tasks to workers, and more.
What are the Benefits?
As you can see from the tools available, automation has the power to benefit every facet of shipping and streamline warehouse operations in incredible ways. The greatest benefit of all is the money you’ll save by automating. Not only will you be more organized, which will get packages out of the warehouse faster and with more efficiency and thus earn you more money via sheer volume, you’ll also save on operational costs.
You won’t need to expand or purchase additional real estate because automated systems can be retrofitted to existing spaces. Not only does this save on real estate costs, it’s also a way to make the shift toward sustainability. You’ll be greener by using this method, and going green saves green (a win-win situation if there ever was one). And, with tighter inventory control because machines rarely make mistakes, you’ll be able to track goods and ensure orders are correct, which leads to less waste and more savings.
Here’s a few more benefits you can expect:
· Automated systems can handle packaging surges, such as around the holidays when surge volumes can increase to over 9,500
· They can accommodate different packaging materials and box/case sizes
· You will save on labor costs
· They can accommodate mixed-method deliveries
· Automated tools can verify weights and dimensions, and they rarely (in most cases never) make mistakes unlike humans
· Some machines can even load the shipping trucks
One of the best ways to modernize your business is to improve communication and collaboration. Add some tablets with internal messaging systems to help improve the communication between warehouse staff. These people will be watching over your automated systems. They will be cleaning, supervising, retrieving product, and more.
By improving your ability to communicate with your labor force, you’re staying competitive and increasing productivity, both of which will result in improved business functioning which will save money, but also has the potential to lead to greater earnings. And, your employees will never feel that they’re being replaced by machines, but rather the machines will help them to be more effective at their jobs and eliminate some of the burden of strenuous labor.
