Amid continued uncertain political and economic times, it is easy to see why some companies globally may consider shelving major planned investments in capital equipment.
However, irrespective of these challenges, for businesses seeking to enhance the capacity and quality of their logistic processes, implementing a certain level of automation into their processes is key.
Even in better times, it can be tempting to ‘sweat the asset’ – to continue using an older manufacturing, assembly or conveying system, as long as it is functional.
But to do this can often fail to address the real needs of the business – and its customers.
Older systems are of course more prone to breaking down – often without notice – and the more aged the system, the harder it can be to find spares, and someone to fit them, at short notice.
And for longer, single line conveyor-based systems. for example, a stoppage in one area can mean the whole line is brought to a standstill, impacting on throughput and delivery times – and ultimately reputation and the bottom line too.
In short, the costs of failing to invest in a new conveying system can end up being greater than they would be by taking the leap now.
Complete or even partial automation of these processes can deliver rapid payback in the form of higher revenues through greater throughput; lower manual processing costs; reduced risk of safety issues; and lower reliance on labour availability.
Of particular benefit in all intralogistics applications, can be modular systems which can be tailored to suit evolving operational needs and also scaled over time as operations expand or need to be adapted. This limits both the cost of the initial investment and the associated risk.
Their modular nature also means that sections and components can be easily swapped in and out when maintenance is required. And they are also more energy-efficient, running off 24v DC power rather than three-phase electric and pneumatic power, with all of their associated costs around safety and maintenance and reducing energy bills in the process.
These systems combine both proven reliability and a low maintenance requirement – meaning reduced risks of downtime and a need for only minimal spares to be held on site. The modular nature means that many repairs can be undertaken by in-house teams, negating the need for external technicians with the associated downtime while their arrival is awaited.
Fundamentally, the controlled level of initial investment, with the option to expand as needed later on, means these systems can rapidly pay for themselves in terms of increased efficiency and throughput, low cost of ownership through minimal maintenance and running costs.
In any business sector, the smart companies – those that thrive and grow in the long term – tend to be those that continue to invest even when times are uncertain or challenging, stealing a march on competitors who are holding back.
Automation and warehousing are no exceptions – and those who take plunge and invest in state-of-the-art intralogistic systems are those who could lead the sector in years to come.