Getting Started with Automation: A Guide for Your Warehouse Management Solutions
Part 5: Equipment Installation, Service and Support Considerations
Your company has completed all the planning to analyze what automation equipment your fulfillment processes need to eliminate bottlenecks and provide a pathway to sustainable growth. Congratulations! You may correctly feel that the light at the end of the tunnel is in view. But if you’re also feeling apprehension, you’re not wrong there, either. Effective implementation is the crucial final step that helps determine whether a steep learning curve and/or service issues turn what should be a solution into a new problem. After all, buying your equipment is really only the start of your automation journey.
How do you ensure that you’re prepared to move forward and get the most out of your new equipment? Here are the considerations that can help your plans to go live unfold as smoothly as possible.
How Do You Go Live?
With any new equipment or change in processes, you’ll need to be prepared for an adjustment period as your employees become familiar with new machines and how they fit into (or transform) previous ways of doing things. This is one of the reasons we recommend starting small if your company hasn’t previously done integrations or used automation equipment before. You can keep familiar processes that work and gear your automation selections toward improving what isn’t as effective, easing staff transition into new ways of doing things. Tension Packaging & Automation helps our clients create optimal go-live plans that minimize disruptions and give you a clear roadmap for getting your new systems up and running.
What are critical questions you need the answers to when creating these plans? First, who is going to do the install? The answer will vary depending on the type and complexity of the equipment. Next, who is going to train the staff? Keep in mind that staff training is never a one-and-done proposition. You may have an outside company come in and train all the employees who will be working with new equipment when it is first installed, but what happens months or years down the road when there are new hires, or there are internal moves that pair someone with machines they haven’t worked with before?
Factory Trained Expertise
At Tension, we set you up for long-term knowledge and success through our team of factory trained implementation managers and service technicians who will install your newly purchased equipment. Your equipment will be placed, powered, set up, and site acceptance tested per agreement guidelines. Extensive operator training and train the trainer programs are available, and Tension is available for additional training support should you need a refresher due to seasonal work or unexpected turnover.
Will your company have someone in the building to support the equipment? While Tension designs our equipment for rugged reliability, machines that are in constant use may require service outside of its planned maintenance. The majority of equipment concerns can be resolved over the phone. If a site visit is required, we can quickly dispatch technicians quickly to resolve issues and get the equipment operational again. Will you have an inside mechanic available for ongoing maintenance and troubleshooting? We also provide training for in-house technicians to ensure they can work on your equipment with confidence.
Automation Equipment Solutions Service Plans
Service and support are a natural part of working with automation equipment. The type and level of support your company will need is as custom as the automation solution that is right for your situation. Tension has a variety of customer service plans and service agreements that enable you to choose the level of support that fits your organization’s needs. Our nationwide support staff ensures that there is always someone on call. Additionally, service and support plans offer a variety of benefits to include priority phone service, priority site visits, discounted labor rates and discounted preventative maintenance programs.
Spare Me
Finally, what parts will you need to keep equipment running smoothly in the warehouse? The right spare parts kit will depend on your specific system. Tension will provide a list of recommended spare parts to keep the equipment running optimally and reduce downtime so that routine fixes will not bring your fulfillment processes to a halt while you wait for parts to arrive.
Your Automation Partner Today and Into the Future
If your company is one of the many with little (or no) existing automation in your fulfillment processes, Tension Packaging & Automation can provide the guidance and support you need to not only take your first steps but also to create a system that can grow with you. We’re the partner you can rely on every step of the way. To learn more about how we can help you modernize your eCommerce or pharmacy fulfillment, contact us here today.
