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 overheadexpenses.
Streamline Material Handling
Traditional methods of material handling relied on disjointed processes that were time-consuming, complicated, anderror-prone.Expecting workers toengage withdifferent partsof the process atdifferent timescan create operational bottlenecks and increaseunnecessarycomplexity.Availablein a range of designs with different technologies,conveyorscan streamline material handling byconsolidatingthesteps workers need to follow.Whenworkers can put product on the conveyor andsend 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 onlabor-intensive tasks, and facilities canmaintainoperational targets witha smallerstaff.
ROIof Conveyor Automation
Conveyor automation is not asimple 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 investmentin theinitialdesign and implementation stages can yield stronger ROIintotal throughputs, management of operational bottlenecks, accuracy, and labor costs.
Using an automated conveyor to move and process mail increases the maximum potential of throughputs.Extratime spent processing increases costs in labor, facility management, and other overhead expenses.Increasing the speed of the workwithout compromising accuracyallows forthe facility to process more mail within the same time. This efficiency can improve revenuegenerationlong-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 bydistinct workers orteams. The work is handled by machinesthatoperateefficiently, 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 anextendable conveyorand othercustom conveyor products allows thesystem to accommodate unusually large loadsor otherwise change the design to suit their needs, without compromising efficacy or creatingadditionalbottlenecks 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 createcascading inefficiencies, includingmore money and labor toidentifythe problem and ensure that the item reaches the rightdestination.Utilizationof an automated conveyor with updated technology to scan and move mail removes the humantendency towardmistakes in visual processing. The parcel is more likely to reach its destination with fewer obstacles in processing.
Management of labor costswithout compromising accuracyis an ongoing challenge forvirtually anybusiness.Facility managershave tomaintainappropriate staffinglevels to manage the processing load, which can create complications if the facility relies excessively on manual processes.Integration of technology that streamlinesindividual taskscanhelp facilities make more efficient use of available staff.Asa result, facilities can handle higherprocessing volumeswhilekeepinglabor-related expensesunder 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
Increasingmaximumthroughput
Eliminatingbottlenecks 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, andlong-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.
