Unlocking Automation ROI: Why Choosing a Partner With a Strong Applications Engineering Team Matters

The promise of automation is seductive: Invest in the right machine and watch your operations become faster, smarter, and more profitable—almost like flipping a switch. On the surface, automation can look like a plug-and-play solution. In practice, making it work seamlessly, and most importantly, ensuring meaningful return on a significant investment, requires expertise to adapt systems to the realities of the production floor. That ROI doesn’t come from the latest technology alone. It is crucially dependent on having an automated solutions partner with an applications engineering team that can guide you from idea to everyday reality. 

Let’s take a closer look at the five ways applications engineering services can transform automation from theory into long-term success.

1.Turning Business Needs into Real World Applications

Applications engineers (AEs) are specialists who translate operational goals into working automated systems. Their superpower is the ability to bridge the gap between what your business needs and what technology can actually deliver. In practice, this means AEs act as cross-functional partners, fluent in both engineering and the language of operations. They ask probing questions, evaluate options, and—crucially—think past the initial request to uncover the real objective behind each automation project.

Here’s an example: A customer might request a specific machine feature—let’s say, a physical button. An AE looks beyond the surface, weighing not just the technical feasibility but also the best, most cost-effective way to achieve the outcome. Sometimes, this means recommending a simpler approach that saves time and money, rather than a custom solution. That kind of critical thinking comes from understanding both technical details and broader business goals.

2. Advising With Your Long-Term Success in Mind

A good AE team focuses on making sure the solution works for the long haul, not just during the installation. For companies new to automation, this guidance provides reassurance: you gain a partner invested in the health of your operation, willing to recommend the right system in order  to keep processes efficient and reliable well beyond installation.

3. Preventing Costly Mistakes Before They Derail ROI

A strong AE team can spot costly mistakes before they happen. Too often, companies buy into automation only to find that the equipment doesn’t fit their process—a mismatch that can turn into expensive machines collecting dust while taking up valuable warehouse space. AEs flag potential challenges early, protecting your investment and keeping your operations scalable, efficient, and on track for real ROI.

4. Revealing ROI You Didn't Know Was Possible

Automation isn’t always faster or cheaper—at least, not right out of the box. For example, robotics might require more time to orient and handle products compared to a human operator. By optimizing the role of people and machines together, and by thinking through labor allocation, AEs help unlock gains you might miss otherwise. Sometimes, the solution is to have the automation layout set up to allow a single operator to tend to two automated lines rather than dedicating a full-time operator to each. 

5. Protecting Your Investment with Ongoing Support

If you’re evaluating an automation partner—whether it’s a bagging system, a complex packaging line, or something more advanced like a right sized box solution—make sure to ask the tough questions, like: 

• How will your team assess my specific application?
• How will your team help us handle integration and long-term support?
• What’s your process to ensure I’m getting the right solution for my business?

The best partners are there for every step–consulting, troubleshooting, optimizing, and keeping your operation moving as your business evolves. A partner with a robust AE team is like an insurance policy for your automation investment: they protect your time, your capital, and your operations.

The Bottom Line

In an industry obsessed with speed, it’s easy to look for quick fixes. But the truth is, automation is not always an off-the-shelf solution. The real difference between transformation and frustration? A partner with the expertise to make sure your system drives day-to-day efficiencies on the floor, and quarter-to-quarter results on the bottom line.

Next time you evaluate an automation partner, don’t just ask what the machine can do. Ask who’s making sure it works for you, and how they’ll help protect your investment for the long run.