Ever wonder what the labor market would look like if palletizer machines didn’t exist? Expect more injuries, higher turnover, and time-consuming employee management. That’s where automation technology can help. Whether it’s a robotic palletizer, pallet handling equipment, or other end-of-line solutions, industrial automation can significantly improve your productivity and profitability.
It’s time to kick manual palletizing to the curb. In this blog, we break down the state of workforce automation and reveal how palletizing technology can help improve your operational excellence and labor productivity.
Workforce Automation for Capital and Space Constrained Operators
As automation continues to evolve, the fear of being laid off intensifies. Workforce technology is clearly revolutionizing the work is done. But large, leading edge automation adopters can attest to the positive evolution of their workforces from single task manual laborers to cross-trained, skilled equipment operators.
Here are some of the main benefits that come along with automating your workforce:
1. Safety
OSHA studies indicate that upto 40% of injuries in a production environment occur due to manual handling tasks. These injuries are primarily due to the repetitive motion and strain of bending, lifting, and twisting in activities such as palletizing. Many of these injuries are “phantom” in nature and are rarely attributable to a specific preventable incident. Yet the pain is real, as are the significant disability and liability costs. Automation, such as robotic palletizers, fully eliminates the risk of manual product handling injuries.
2. Workforce Productivity
Automated palletizers not only do the work much faster than manual labor, but they also require no labor shift planning, staffing, or supervision. And defects or rework required due to human error are fully eliminated.
3. Cost Savings
“Time is money.” That couldn’t be more true when you have to continuously hire and train high turnover manual labor. That’s where automation can help. By automating specific tasks, you’re able to cut down on onboarding and training costs, which reduces overhead expenses. In addition to overhead expenses, automation also reduces operating costs by lowering the direct labor required.
4. Job Quality
Workforce automation can improve job content. Unlike humans, automated technology can perform monotonous physical tasks without getting burned out. Manual laborers can instead be engaged in operating and controlling activities. Automation can actually provide a career path for employees through skill development and cross-training.
5. Higher Customer Satisfaction
When running a business, customer service is always a priority. But fulfilling orders can be a challenging task, especially with short lead times and last-minute requirements. Workforce automation helps reduce change-over and ramp-up time to accelerate delivery. Automated equipment also reduces defects by eliminating human error.
6. Simplified Tracking
Automating your workforce helps make the internal tracking and auditing process much easier. You won’t have to spend hours collecting and compiling production sheets. Automation technology can handle all of that for you. With a workforce automation system, you always have a real-time analysis of your operation status and outputs.
7. Peace of Mind
It’s easy to get stressed while working in or managing a production operation, but automation technology is vital in eliminating those frustrations. The happiest labor units make up the most productive workforces. That’s the type of culture you’ll be able to create with automated equipment in your toolkit. Not only will your employees have fewer injuries and less stress on the job, but they’ll feel more valuable in their roles.
Build Greater Workforce Efficiency
When it comes to workplace automation, there is no one better to partner with than ROI Industries. Improving workforce productivity is what we do best. Our experts support management with the tools and equipment needed to streamline the tough tasks. Whether it’s a compact palletizer, pallet dispenser, or pallet stacker, we’re here to make your daily grind seamless.
Learn all about our one-of-a-kind solutions. Reach out today to schedule your free consultation!