Matt Kelly, vice president of business development with Packsize, talks about the key considerations for companies looking to integrate automated packaging processes into brownfield facilities.

Packaging automation has become a growing focus for companies looking to modernize warehouse operations, but retrofitting those systems into existing brownfield facilities can create unique challenges. To address them, it's critical for companies to think about packaging automation as a broader customer experience strategy, says Kelly.

He notes that many organizations heavily invest in upstream automation technologies such as picking engines and sortation systems, while overlooking their downstream packaging processes. That often creates labor bottlenecks and inefficiencies that undermine the value of broader warehouse automation investments. 

“If you don’t understand how you’re going to pack, it’s very difficult to optimize picking in a cost-effective way,” Kelly says.

Automated packaging systems can deliver rapid returns on investment through reduced labor and material costs, with some companies seeing payback periods in as little as one month under service-based models, while capital investments typically pay off in under two years, Kelly says. Automation can also significantly reduce staffing requirements in packing operations, while lowering corrugate usage and environmental waste.

Companies experiencing manual packing bottlenecks or shipping more than 200 boxes daily are likely strong candidates for automation, says Kelly. He also emphasizes the importance of flexible, brownfield-friendly systems that can integrate with existing warehouse investments, which can simplify the packaging process for operators and customers alike.