A supplier that respects the individuality of an operation also is a plus. Safety, space, and financial constraints may limit a facility’s options for removal of finished loads. Suppliers should be flexible in their offerings, accommodating manual pallet removal by pallet jack or automated pallet removal by fork-lift truck. With today’s technology, a wide range of speeds is available, from rates exceeding 200 cases per minute on the high end down to just two cases per minute on the low end. So, companies really can decide down to a fine detail what equipment will provide the best results. Finally, automated palletizing can be viewed as part of a corporate culture. Certain companies don’t want people performing the difficult labor required in a manual-palletizing operation. In such cases, the question is not even one of ROI or output speed, but of employee well-being.

Reprinted with Permission from FKI Logistex North America