What we have seen and continue to see is that there is certainly no shortage in the demand for supplies and products. E-commerce is alive, well and thriving. Online ordering continues to flourish. The supply chain is booming, but can the supply keep up with the continuous influx of variables shifting during this COVID era?
Three words—Flexibility. Change. Consolidation.
Business strategies and needs continue to change, transform, and evolve. Work relationships continue to shift. The flexibility to work remotely continues to be a viable and sustainable option for many. And merging business practices and procedures throughout all areas seems to be first and foremost with the ongoing variables in today’s supply chain and distribution. Furthermore, adding automation continues to be the solution to consolidating operations.
In the material handling industry, flexibility is paramount to the success of the operation. Material handling product movement relies heavily on the equipment, software, and solutions in place to pack, sort and transport for distribution. Current and ongoing shipping and manufacturer delays have required the supply chain to be flexible—to create other ways to keep your operation functioning. Efficiency, speed and accuracy are only as good as the material handling solutions and systems in place to properly and adequately move product. With the ability to make changes within, operations should feel confident that product will move flawlessly and speedily throughout.
Change is inevitable. Innovative thinking keeps the material handling industry on the cutting edge when it comes to automated technologies. Staying current on this information is paramount to a well functioning operation. Whereas change can be daunting, even challenging at times, it brings growth, advancement and expansion to daily operations. Automation further transforms an operation with minimal human interaction. It allows for employees to be utilized in different roles to make better use of their skills. And through this reallocation of human resources, consolidation materializes; and integration of activities and procedures in product movement ultimately brings about more productivity, accuracy and efficiency to material handling. All the while creating a more systematic, efficient, and productive operation.
Author: Heather Connors, Director of Marketing, Conveyor Handling Company
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