Automation is becoming essential across industries, and more companies are exploring how to take the first step. While getting started can feel complex, the path forward is often clearer than expected. The key is to start from the right place.
“Rather than focusing on a single task, companies should step back and rethink their whole operation. To start automation, you need to understand why things are done the way they are done. A strong start builds long-term value,” says Derek Rickard, Director of Sales, North America.
Automation offers companies a powerful way to improve efficiency, increase reliability and respond faster to changing demand. At the same time, it helps address one of the most common challenges across industries: labour availability.
I think the most common motivation is labour, both availability and uncertainty. — Kai Tuomisaari, VP, Corporate Sales, Cimcorp Group.
To fully realize these benefits, automation should be approached as a long-term business decision rather than a quick fix. The greatest impact is achieved when companies look beyond individual tasks and consider how their operations can evolve.
“Many companies are planning 10-20 years ahead. You need to understand your future needs, not just what you’re doing today. This forward-looking approach helps ensure that automation supports both current performance and future growth”, Tuomisaari adds.
Kai Tuomisaari, VP, Corporate Sales, Cimcorp Group.
Turn insight into action
Once companies have stepped back and rethought their operations, the next step is building a clear understanding of the business and its goals. This is where data becomes essential. This begins with data. By analysing current operations, including volumes, order profiles and process performance, companies can define the right targets for capacity, efficiency and scalability. When combined with realistic projections of future needs, this creates a strong foundation for decision-making.
Simulation and modelling tools support this process by allowing companies to test different scenarios and validate system performance before making investments.
These tools help you understand how the systems will run and whether it meets your needs. Equally important is bringing the organization along. Automation impacts multiple teams and early engagement helps ensure a smoother transition from planning to implementation. — Derek Rickard, Director of Sales, Cimcorp Automation Ltd.
Choosing the right partner plays an important role. With the right expertise and experience, companies can move forward with confidence, from early planning of automation to long-term development.
“The best thing you can do is talk to someone who has done it before,” Rickard says. “Go and see a reference site and understand what result others have achieved by automating”.
Derek Rickard, Cimcorp Automation Ltd.
Moving forward with confidence
Automation is already widely used across several industries, and proven solutions are available. Companies don’t need to have all the answers at the start, what matters is taking a structured and informed approach.
By starting with a clear understanding of your business, using data to guide decisions and working with experienced partners, companies can turn automation into a practical and achievable next step.
“When done right, automation becomes more than a technology investment. It becomes a way to improve performance, build resilience and create long-term competitive advantage,” Tuomisaari adds.
Operational understanding makes the difference
At Cimcorp, we have 50 years of expertise in automation, especially within the tire, grocery and retail industries. According to our experience, successful automation projects require much more than just selecting the right technology. Real value comes from understanding how automated operations behave in practice, from throughput fluctuations and capacity utilization to long-term scalability.
Automation should not simply replicate manual processes but redesign them to perform more efficiently and predictably. This becomes especially important in industries with fluctuating volumes, large SKU counts and high throughput requirements.
We quite often see customers dimension systems around peak demand the same way they would with manual labour. But automation changes the logic completely. Industry-specific expertise and proven operational understanding are critical for designing solutions that support long-term performance and scalability. — Kai Tuomisaari, VP, Corporate Sales, Cimcorp Group.
