September 15, 2025

Jason Effing, CRO of Systems in Motion, was recently interviewed as an expert in understanding when to replace outdated Automation. Many warehouses and manufacturing plants are realizing that their once state-of-the-art automated systems are no longer keeping up with modern business demands. Jason Effing, CRO of Systems in Motion explained that while systems installed “five, 15 or even 30 years ago were appropriate at that time, their business needs have changed, so they’ve simply outgrown their system and need to make some changes.” He noted that growth often exposes not just capacity issues but also obsolescence, as many facilities are still running on original controllers or software that are no longer supported. The impact of aging automation often shows up in rising costs and reduced performance. According to Mr. Effing, when older systems can’t handle higher order volumes, companies tend to “throw additional manpower at the problem,” which is unsustainable amid labor shortages and rising wages. Outdated equipment also creates bottlenecks, errors, and delivery delays—hurting service levels and customer satisfaction. As Effing put it, “The equipment wasn’t designed to handle today’s additional throughput, so in pushing more product through, you’re going to get logjams.” Beyond replacing worn-out parts, many companies are rethinking how they use space. Effing emphasized the value of order analysis, noting that facilities often think they’ve run out of room when “if we really home in on what their inventory requirements are, we have technology options that will reduce their footprint and allow them to stay in that space longer.” By shifting to high density storage and smarter layouts, warehouses can extend the life of their facilities while updating automation to be more flexible and future-proof. Read the entire article here.