Efficiency and accuracy are key goals for today’s mail centers. Integrating automated conveyors into mail processing can deliver a faster return on investment (ROI) by streamlining material handling and reducing manual processing, without compromising accuracy or increasing overhead expenses.
Streamline Material Handling
Traditional methods of material handling relied on disjointed processes that were time-consuming, complicated, and error-prone. Expecting workers to engage with different parts of the process at different times can create operational bottlenecks and increase unnecessary complexity. Available in a range of designs with different technologies, conveyors can streamline material handling by consolidating the steps workers need to follow. When workers can put product on the conveyor and send it to the right destination automatically, they perform fewer tasks with less complexity.
Reduce Manual Processes
Labor shortages in a variety of industries call for attention to the percentage of production that depends directly on workers’ manual processes. Manual effort to sort packages or deliver them to other parts of the facility is time-consuming and increases the likelihood of mistakes. Automated conveyors reduce the number of manual processes by converting the work of scanning, sorting, and moving mail through the processing facility. As a result, workers spend less of their time on labor-intensive tasks, and facilities can maintain operational targets with a smaller staff.
ROI of Conveyor Automation
Conveyor automation is not a simple installation process. Rather, it requires an analysis of the existing systems and processes, which can yield requirements for a unique design that meets the mail processing facility’s needs. This can lead stakeholders to wonder about the ROI of such efforts. Appropriate investment in the initial design and implementation stages can yield stronger ROI in total throughputs, management of operational bottlenecks, accuracy, and labor costs.
Using an automated conveyor to move and process mail increases the maximum potential of throughputs. Extra time spent processing increases costs in labor, facility management, and other overhead expenses. Increasing the speed of the work without compromising accuracy allows for the facility to process more mail within the same time. This efficiency can improve revenue generation long-term.
Bottlenecks can damage revenue potential and increase the likelihood of errors in processing. When mail processing centers rely on automated conveyors for mail processing, they reduce the number of steps that must be completed by distinct workers or teams. The work is handled by machines that operate efficiently, accurately, and at scale. The organization does not have to wait for a person to come back from break to progress to the next step in the process. The use of an extendable conveyor and other custom conveyor products allows the system to accommodate unusually large loads or otherwise change the design to suit their needs, without compromising efficacy or creating additional bottlenecks in processing.
Next to processing volume, accuracy may be the most significant increase in potential ROI with conveyor automation. Accuracy is a key aspect of mail processing, improving customer trust and overall efficiency with a system that gets it right. Mail processing failures create cascading inefficiencies, including more money and labor to identify the problem and ensure that the item reaches the right destination. Utilization of an automated conveyor with updated technology to scan and move mail removes the human tendency toward mistakes in visual processing. The parcel is more likely to reach its destination with fewer obstacles in processing.
Management of labor costs without compromising accuracy is an ongoing challenge for virtually any business. Facility managers have to maintain appropriate staffing levels to manage the processing load, which can create complications if the facility relies excessively on manual processes. Integration of technology that streamlines individual tasks can help facilities make more efficient use of available staff. As a result, facilities can handle higher processing volumes while keeping labor-related expenses under control.
Implementing an automated conveyor system can improve ROI in mail processing facilities through:
Streamlining material handling for maximum efficiency
Reducing reliance on manual processing
Increasing maximum throughput
Eliminating bottlenecks from manual processing
Improving accuracy in sorting and delivery
Minimizing labor expenses by relying more on technology
The result is an efficient system that improves customer satisfaction, revenue generation, and long-term ROI.
Chris Thompson is Senior Marketing Communications Manager, Material Handling Americas, at FMH Conveyors. With a deep understanding that industrial automation is the future of manufacturing, Thompson aims to present those possibilities to end users and distributors in a fun and informative way. Thompson combines a love for marketing and eye-catching graphic design with a passion for automated processes and machinery.
