Before you automate your systems -material handling system
You have long worked your material handling system manually but now, you have decided that it is time to automate your systems, but before you plug in the system and turn on the switch, just consider these points to decide whether or not you are ready to automate. If automation is not meant for your industry at this stage, even the best designed system will fail to deliver.
Check whether your company has the higher level of technological expertise required for automated systems well in place because if the in-house expertise is lacking and there is no backing to support system on a long term basis, it is better to wait before you automate.
Compare and analyze the total cost which will go into automating your system because even though you will do away with the cost of material handlers in the manual system, there will be a host of extra cost in automating the system which will include the new information support staff, expensive technicians and maintenance personnel beside the cost of the system.
Get your backup support ready in case you have a system failure because even though automated systems are more reliable than ever, but if you do not have a backup system which will keep your business running on occasions when the automated systems go down, you may be at a complete loss.
Upgrade your computer and your electrical systems to deal with the new system as the insurance on a multi-million dollar system is more than on a building with racks, and you’re now going to maintain an inventory of spare parts to keep the system up and running.
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