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Often, human nature tells us to take the path of least resistance, avoid change and hope everything stays the same.
The idea of change can be scary—even if you know that it’ll lead to better outcomes down the line. In the world of warehousing and distribution, one of the biggest changes you can make is to invest in automation.
But automating doesn’t have to be a source of fear, so long as you make sure employees are ready to adapt and that you have support through the change. Such change management can help you not only ensure a smooth path forward, but also to get the most out of your investment.
Below are five tips to keep in mind.
1. Be transparent with your employees
Why do you need automation in the first place? What do you want to achieve? Communicate these points to your employees, as well as how the change will benefit their work and how they can prepare themselves. Also, consider how long will the installation take and how will it impact current processes. Transparency is key. After all, a well-informed employee is a happy employee.
2. Keep things running smoothly with turnkey delivery
Turnkey delivery means you get supplier support from start to finish—from solution design, production and testing, to system installation and commissioning. At Cimcorp, we always have experienced project managers work closely with our customers’ in-house teams to ensure each step runs smoothly and everyone feels comfortable with the automated solution once installed.
3. Find peace of mind with comprehensive training
People always feel better when they understand how something works. A critical part of delivering a turnkey solution is comprehensive training for operators and maintenance staff. In cases where these roles are absent, Cimcorp will provide full service and support from an on-site Cimcorp expert, allowing customers to focus on their core business.
4. Look for tailored service packages to maximize uptime
With automation, there can be concern about uptime and what, if any, interruptions there may be to daily operations. Since no two businesses are alike, you need individualized services that can meet your business’ needs and ensure maximum system uptime. Recognizing this, we tailor our service agreements to each customer. They may include preventive maintenance, spare parts or repair services. We can provide both on-site and remote support—over the telephone, via e-mail or via a virtual private network connection.
5. Have 24/7 service available to you
No one has a crystal ball to see the future, but knowing your supplier is a lifetime partner committed to ensuring your company’s continued success helps to curb any uncertainties. You know you can rely on their post-sale service group and local partner network for the rest of the system’s lifetime. With a majority of automated facilities running 24/7, that support has to be available around the clock as well, with resources ready to address machinery or IT failures so you don’t lose valuable time.
Change is nothing to fear. And, automation is nothing to fear—not when you have experienced guides to show you the way. You get well trained and informed employees, smooth transitions from manual to automated processes and on-hand support whenever you need it, so you can get the most out of automation both now and in the long term.
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Author Ilpo Nummelin