Signs That It’s Time to Upgrade Your Packaging Equipment
Packaging equipment is a big investment, so every enterprise big or small, has to consider its own situation and needs in depth, before going in for a change. It could be a change from manual to automated packaging systems, or from one technology to another, or simply an upgrade of an existing machine.
How will any business know when it’s time to invest in new equipment? There are some basic yet loud signs that’s it’s time to change.
Increasing labor costs
Labor costs are a major ongoing expense for most companies. And they keep rising! Moreover, as you increase production to fulfill market demand, you either have to hire more people or over-work the existing team. Longer hours lead to fatigue which lead to mistakes and often, inability to adhere to practices and quality standards. Work pressure also lowers job satisfaction and motivation levels. Solve this problem with new, automated packaging systems and packaging equipment that’s less labor intensive.
Maintenance headaches
While most machines are built to last for years, daily wear and tear takes its toll. One of the most obvious signs that your existing equipment is aging is maintenance. Frequent bottlenecks and breakdowns, slower performance, and problems with spare parts, are all indicative of a machine that needs to be changed. After all, downtime, repairs and spares not only make it difficult to meet your production and marketing goals, they are expenses that adversely affect profits.
Inability to meet market demand or expansion plan
Your business is growing and your business plans are evolving to meet market trends and customer demands. If your current equipment is hampering this growth, it’s definitely time to upgrade.
Packaging processes need to evolve and keep pace with your plans; they should assist in meeting full market potential. Whether it is food packaging systems, pharma packaging systems or secondary packaging systems, it’s critical to have equipment that enables and supports your enterprise growth.
Wastage eating into your profits
Manual labor and aging machines usually commit more mistakes and produce more waste than most automated packaging systems. Right from filling of contents where spillages and pilfering occurs to bulk packaging where accuracy, neatness and material usage suffers, manual operations can cause errors and produce waste that affect your factory’s bottomline. When wastage starts eating into your profitability, think new packaging equipment.
Need for speed
Speed is a key criterion in modern industry – to meet production targets and optimize costs. You could have new strategies and expansion plans that call for high-speed production, but your existing machine just cannot keep up. Or your aging equipment could start to operate at slower speeds, with frequent bottlenecks and back-ups.
These will cause a slow-down and may even halt production. In both situations, it means expensive downtime and inability to meet targets. It’s time to search for faster equipment.
Competition packaging better
Packaging keeps evolving. New technologies, new formats, new SKUs emerge to support new marketing plans. To stay relevant, companies need to evolve with customer demands and market innovations.
Your competition has probably launched new packaging that’s a hit with the customer. Newer packaging machines can help you adopt diverse trends, deliver a superior consumer experience and meet customer demands more easily.
Conclusion
It’s advisable to audit your packaging process, weigh the costs vs the benefits of new packaging equipment or packaging systems automation for your enterprise. It makes sense to consult a packaging specialist company who will analyse your current setup; understand your applications, goals & challenges; suggest the most relevant and cost-effective integrated packaging solution for your needs. New equipment can be a smart move, making your processes more efficient and your company more productive and profitable.
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