A phased automation project runs partly manual and partly automated for months or years. During that period one container fleet has to work in both environments, and the two have different requirements. Buying containers that suit the current stage produces a fleet that has to be replaced when the next stage arrives; buying for the end state produces a fleet that is over-specified for a while. Of the two errors, the second is cheaper.
Why the end state should govern
Containers last years and phases last months. A container bought to suit phase one will still be in the fleet in phase three, where it will not meet the tolerance the equipment needs. A container bought for phase three works in phase one – it is simply better than it needs to be. Since the container outlives the phase, the end state should set the specification from the first order.
What is genuinely more expensive
Holding a tighter tolerance costs money. Better base flatness costs a little. A reinforced corner costs a little. Durable identification costs a little. None of these are large per unit, and all of them are much cheaper to include in the original tooling than to buy again. Where a phased project is planned, the incremental cost of specifying for the end state is usually a small fraction of the fleet cost.
Quantity planning across phases
Each phase changes the throughput and therefore the fleet requirement. Buying the full end-state quantity at the start ties up capital in containers that are not yet needed; buying per phase means several orders, possibly at different prices and possibly with tooling variation between them. Where consistency matters – and for automation it does – fewer, larger orders are better, and the capital cost is the price of a consistent fleet.
Tooling variation between orders
A second production run from the same tooling is usually consistent. A second run from new tooling, or from a different plant, may not be. Where a fleet is bought in phases over years, the risk of variation between orders is real, and it is worth asking the supplier what they will hold across runs. Where the answer is a drawing rather than a tolerance, assume variation and plan to measure on delivery.
Running mixed fleets during the transition
During a transition the fleet contains old containers and new ones, and the equipment meets both. Where the old ones do not meet the tolerance, they have to be kept off the automated lanes – which is possible where the process allows containers to be directed, and impossible where it does not. Planning how the old containers will be distinguished and routed is part of the project, and it is easier on a drawing than in a live building.
When to replace rather than phase
Where the existing fleet is old, mixed and near the end of its life, a phased project is an opportunity to replace it in one go rather than to run two types side by side. The capital cost is higher in that year and the operating cost is lower for years afterwards. Where the existing fleet is young and consistent, phasing is right. The audit described in the pre-automation box audit is what tells you which situation you are in.
What to write into the first order
The end-state tolerance, the identification method, the expected fleet size at the end state, and a commitment to hold tolerance across production runs. Four items, and the third is the one most often omitted – a supplier who knows the fleet will grow can plan tooling and material accordingly, and one who does not may not be able to match a later order to an earlier one.