Automation is becoming essential across industries, and more companies are exploring how to take the first step. Cimcorp believes that the key is to start from the right place.
“Rather than focusing on a single task, companies should step back and rethink their whole operation,” says Derek Rickard, Director of Sales, North America for Cimcorp. “To start automation, you need to understand why things are done the way they are done.”
Automation offers companies a powerful way to improve efficiency, increase reliability and respond faster to changing demand. At the same time, it helps address one of the most common challenges across industries: labour availability. To fully realise the benefits, automation should be approached as a long-term business decision rather than a quick fix.
“Many companies are planning 10-20 years ahead,” says Kai Tuomisaari, Cimcorp’s VP, Corporate Sales. “You need to understand your future needs, not just what you’re doing today. This forward-looking approach helps ensure that automation supports both current performance and future growth.”
Turn insight into action
A successful automation journey starts with building a clear understanding of the business and its goals. This begins with data. By analysing current operations – including volumes, order profiles and process performance – companies can define the right targets for capacity, efficiency and scalability. When combined with realistic projections of future needs, this creates a strong foundation for decision-making.
Simulation and modelling tools support this process by allowing companies to test different scenarios and validate system performance before making investments. “Equally important is bringing the organisation along,” Rickard says. “Automation impacts multiple teams and early engagement helps ensure a smoother transition from planning to implementation.”
Choosing the right partner plays an important role. With the right expertise and experience, companies can move forward with confidence, from early planning of automation to long-term development. “The best thing you can do is talk to someone who has done it before,” Rickard continues. “Go and see a reference site and understand what result others have achieved by automating.”
“When done right, automation becomes more than a technology investment,” Tuomisaari adds. “It becomes a way to improve performance, build resilience and create long-term competitive advantage.”
Operational understanding makes the difference
Cimcorp has 50 years of expertise in automation, especially within the tyre, grocery and retail industries. According to the company’s experience, successful automation projects require much more than just selecting the right technology. Real value comes from understanding how automated operations behave in practice, from throughput fluctuations and capacity utilisation to long-term scalability.
Automation should not simply replicate manual processes but redesign them to perform more efficiently and predictably. This becomes especially important in industries with fluctuating volumes, large SKU counts and high throughput requirements.
“We quite often see customers dimension systems around peak demand, the same way they would with manual labour. But automation changes the logic completely. Industry-specific expertise and proven operational understanding are critical for designing solutions that support long-term performance and scalability,” Tuomisaari concludes.
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