Is Automation the Automatic Choice?
Following two years of lockdowns, work stoppages and stay-at-home orders, warehouse and transportation companies are also navigating prolonged labour shortages, which have exacerbated the challenges of fulfilling core business needs. Business leaders have begun leaning into alternative automation solutions to respond to record high turnover rates and record low unemployment.
Canadian companies have been acquiring autonomous robots at an unprecedented rate and it does not appear this trend will slow down. Over the next 12 months, Canadian companies are expected to invest in machinery, digital technologies and automation at rates unseen in more than two decades.
The Future is Here
Automation, Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) and Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) have become viable solutions to address warehouse staffing issues, ensure fulfillment targets and improve productivity and efficiency.
Autonomous pallet picking and loading, automated box packaging and smart strapping and taping are just some of the automated technologies now available to the market. Additionally, these new technologies are hyper scalable, providing companies the ability to respond quickly and easily to staffing changes, market trends and fluctuations within the supply chain. Companies have the flexibility to reassign and redeploy both employees and AMRs as needed.
New autonomous solutions are also helping companies eliminate repetitive, time-consuming tasks that keep valuable employees from focusing on revenue generating responsibilities. In fact, 85% of executives report that automation helps to attract and retain new talent.
Decreasing Environmental Footprint and Operating Costs
New capabilities in automated packaging promise greater sustainability by providing the flexibility to customize the shapes, sizes and designs of boxes based on the specific product being shipped. Tailoring packaging saves resources and reduces waste, while maximizing load capacities of shipping containers and dry van trailers. As labour shortages disproportionately hit the trucking industry, efficient packaging can result in a greater number of goods contained in a single shipment, making transportation of your products faster and more reliable. Fewer loads also mean less money spent on transportation amid rising fuel costs, reducing shipping costs and environmental impact.
Looking for the right future-proof solution that best suits the requirements of your business, both today and tomorrow? Talk to our industrial experts today.