Automatic dispensing machine in the time of economic slowdown.

The spreading COVID-19 pandemic has caused a sharp and unexpected decline in economic activity around the world, including in European countries. Imports from Asian countries have basically been blocked and consumers spend most of their time at home. While the pharmaceutical industry and producers of disinfectants recorded significant increases in product sales, the vast majority of industries faced a real threat. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the most difficult period is coming for the economy (including Poland) since the last crisis in 2009, and improvement should not be expected until next year. The economic downturn may lead many countries to a recession.

How will entrepreneurs behave?

According to the survey conducted among the members of Employers of the Republic of Poland at the turn of February and March 2020, the economic slowdown is already feeling about of Polish entrepreneurs. Over 60% of the respondents intend to reduce the costs of their activity, and over 50% – to limit investments. More than half of the employers assess the current economic situation as bad. Almost all (80%) fear a sudden increase in labor costs. Polish entrepreneurs also consider unstable law and unclear regulations, an increase in inflation, minimum wage and fiscal burdens, and a drop in orders to be significant threats. Cutting costs almost always involves the need to reduce jobs, and the staff shortage must be replaced with someone or something. The employers undoubtedly found themselves in a difficult situation.

Industries hit by the slowdown

Almost any industry may fall victim to the economic downturn. One of the victims is the steel industry, which buys coking coal from the JSW group. JSW’s operating profit dropped from over PLN 2.2 billion in 2018 to PLN 905.6 million in 2019. The economic slowdown has led to massive drops in sales also by car manufacturers. In China, new car sales fell by 92%. The Association of European Vehicle Manufacturers (ACEA) also reports very poor results. Sales of passenger cars in the EU, after months of uninterrupted increases, decreased by 7.5% in January this year. Poland took the penultimate place in Europe! The reasons for such a weak car sales are seen in unfavorable tax changes, a slowdown in the global economy and uncertainty related to Brexit. The problem is exacerbated by the raging coronavirus pandemic and the inability to import parts from China. The production lines of Hyundai and Kia have already been stopped in Korea, and the production of the Fiat 500L has been stopped in Serbia. In addition, nothing indicates an improvement in the future of the automotive market, as the prices of manufactured cars are rising and the regulations on exhaust emissions are still tightening. Polish automotive companies are also concerned about staff shortages. Many companies employ foreigners, mainly Ukrainians, whose residence rights are ending.

How to save with the vending machines?

On the one hand, entrepreneurs are looking for savings, and on the other hand, they need hands to work – and not just any. They want to hire, but they don’t have anyone. Or for what. In such a difficult period for the entire economy, it is worth looking for alternative solutions and automating processes to make production independent of labor shortages. One of the answers to the current challenges are vending machines . These are innovative, multifunctional devices for automating the process of issuing various types of products in enterprises – from health and safety measures, through tools and auxiliary materials, to office and consumables, and everything that generates costs and should be under control. Unique know-how, developed during the implementation of many projects in the field of automatic distribution, guarantees the selection and implementation of the most optimal solutions. The combination of the dispensing machine with the proprietary, integrated distribution system (IDS application) allows for 24-hour control of releases from any device (e.g. smartphone) and guarantees constant availability of the necessary products. The machine offers maximum capacity in a compact size, which effectively solves the problem of limited space in production companies (even the largest ones). You can choose from several models with different parameters and load capacity. Each is flexible, allowing even better configuration adjustment to individual needs.

What does automation of product distribution mean in practice?

• Product release regardless of warehouse working hours
• Independence of distribution from staffing problems
• Stock limitations
• Possibility of constant control of product flows
• No mistakes, because only the right employees use each product
• Simplify your procurement organization
• No queues – downloading the product takes max. 15 seconds
• The possibility of a quick return of an incorrectly downloaded product
• Access to clear reports

The key benefits of implementing vending machines are: no downtime, savings of up to 50% and a clear increase in quality and comfort in purchasing, production, OHS, controlling and warehouse departments. The machine can be bought or rented – depending on the permanent or temporary need for automatic distribution. The machine is delivered with substantive and service support to guarantee full use of the potential and bring the company real value in the face of the economic slowdown.