Updating or investing in automation for a warehouse can be a large capital expenditure, but it is an investment that many companies are willing to make. According to the Integrated Systems and Controls Council of the Material Handling Industry of America’s Automation report released earlier this year, “Sentiment Towards Automation Suppliers,” nearly 80 percent of all respondents are planning their first or next automation project.
Of the warehousing, logistics and supply chain managers; engineering, design and technical managers; corporate and executive managers; operations, production and plant managers; facilities managers; and purchasing employees polled, nearly one-third are planning to start a project in the next six months, while roughly 60 percent expect to begin a project within a year, the report states. Slightly less than half of respondents reported that their last project was completed within the last six months, it adds.