Making Automation Less Scary: Addressing Obstacles and Setting Goals

Q. Automation has been talked about for years, but adoption still lags. How do you get warehouses genuinely excited about implementing it?

A. First, I’ll say it plainly: Automation is scary. We work with a lot of operations that are still running completely manual processes. For those teams, the idea of bringing in machines or new systems—and the cost that comes with it—can feel overwhelming.

That’s why the starting points can’t be technology. It must be people and process. We spend a lot of time on the floor with managers, walking through workflows step by step and identifying where things break down whether that’s missed scans, bottlenecks while sorting, manual workarounds that are “just how we do it.” Once you pinpoint those pain points, the conversation changes.

Another concern we still hear about, and heard a lot throughout last year, is the fear that automation will replace people. Most successful operations, particularly for our customers in the low-to-mid-volume space, take a hybrid approach.

The goal should be not to automate everything, but to find the right fit. When automation is implemented correctly, it gives employees better tools so they can do their jobs faster, easier, and with fewer mistakes.

Q. What’s the biggest obstacle to implementing automation, and how can companies address it?

A. The biggest obstacle is trying to do too much at once. There’s a real risk of over automating, especially when leaders feel pressure to “modernize” quickly. When that happens, automation turns into an overly complex and expensive project instead of a practical solution.

The way around it is to get very clear about what is and isn’t working in your workflows. Audit the operation, work with a warehouse specialist and not just a salesperson and solve the right problems in the right order.

Q. How should companies get employees aligned and on board with automation initiatives?

A. This comes down to change management, and it’s something we talked about in depth during an educational session at Parcel Forum last September.

We find that employees do not resist automation because they “don’t understand technology.” They resist it because change is often rolled out poorly. Communication must start early and stay consistent. Teams need to know why changes are happening, how their roles will be affected, and what support they’ll get along the way.

Training is critical, but so is listening. When leaders treat automation as something they’re doing with their teams instead of to them, adoption (and attitude) improve. At the end of the day, automation works best when people feel included, prepared, and respected.