In this video blog, Andrew Smith, Founder & MD at ZenSmart, shares the telltale signs that your manual systems are holding you back—from rising labour costs to spreadsheet chaos. If you’re ready to turn complexity into flow, it might be time to automate.
Transcript
What are the conditions that signal it’s time to invest in workflow automation? According to recent survey data from what they think, the number one business challenge in 2025 for print manufacturers is increasing plant productivity and coming in at number four, managing workflow automation. That tells us two things. One, businesses know they need to get more out of their current teams and equipment and two, they see automation as one of the clearest ways to get there. But in terms of choosing when to act, what’s important is recognizing when your current manual systems are holding you back. So here’s a few signs the time is right. One, your labor costs are climbing but output isn’t. Two, you’re running on spreadsheets or paper job sheets to manage production. Three, you’ve added order channels but not the systems to manage those new channels. Four, small errors are having a bigger ripple on effect and compounding into big delays. Five, you’re unsure what’s happening on the floor right now. And if any of those sound familiar, it’s time to consider a smarter way to run your factory. At ZenSmart we help print on-demand factories turn complexity into flow and chaos into control. Reach out if you’re ready to talk about what real automation can do for your plant and how we can go on about choosing the right time in order to make a big impact on your business. Go well.
