Dean Starovasnik, senior account executive with Daifuku, tells us what companies need to do to succeed on their automation journey, no matter what stage they're in.

Warehouse automation projects often focus on hardware and software, but the real challenge is getting people and processes to adapt alongside the technology, says Starovasnik.

Automation can improve the overall customer experience by helping workers deliver more accurate orders, better product quality and faster fulfillment, Starovasnik says, particularly in e-commerce where the final packer is the last touchpoint before a customer receives their shipment. More than that ,though, automation is meant to attack the issue of labor.

“Just like real estate’s ‘location, location, location,’ in today’s world, automation is ‘labor, labor, labor,’” Starovasnik says.

Many warehouse operators still approach automated systems with the mindset of a manual operation, where managers can simply move workers around to address bottlenecks. But automated environments require a steadier, more synchronized flow of work between receiving, storage and shipping. That kind of shift can create challenges if management teams aren’t prepared to rethink how they run their facilities.

Starovasnik also stresses the importance of involving frontline supervisors and floor-level leadership early in the design process to help with employee buy-in. While automation providers understand the technology, warehouse employees understand the realities of the operation better than anyone else, making their input critical to long-term success.

“Automation doesn’t operate in isolation — it operates in a system that includes the people,” he says.