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 keep up 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 per week, this firm had a devoted operator on the finish of every of their 4 packaging traces. The issue? Recruiting and maintaining individuals in these roles was an ongoing battle. They knew automation may resolve this challenge, however they wanted an answer that made monetary sense and match inside their house constraints.
Their ultimate return on funding (ROI) goal was 12 months, however given the severity of their labor challenges, they had 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 had been secured.
Questioning learn how to calculate the ROI of a cobot in your manufacturing facility ground? Obtain the Lean Robotics ROI calculator.
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 growth.
- 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 different in run charges, weights, and capacities, in order that they wanted a versatile system that would deal with various product sorts effectively.
Over time, our robotic capabilities developed to satisfy their wants. The flexibility to carry out multi-pick operations and deal with extra weight made automation a fair higher match. After seeing our options at Pack Expo for 2 years in a row, they knew we had been the correct 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 might have already recouped their funding and seen extra effectivity good points.
For corporations contemplating automation, the important thing takeaway is evident: Begin early. Begin small if wanted, however begin. Doing nothing means shedding out on productiveness, effectivity, and price financial savings that would compound over time.
This firm’s story is a testomony to the ability of automation in overcoming workforce challenges and setting the stage for long-term development. When you’re dealing with comparable struggles, don’t wait—discover your choices at the moment.
