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American manufacturing is at an inflection point. Labor shortages are accelerating, global competition is intensifying, and the pressure to produce more with less has never been greater. The answer — for manufacturers of every size — is automation. But knowing you need to automate and knowing how to do it are two very different things.
Automate Now is the practical playbook for CPG manufacturers ready to take action. Written by the Formic team — the people who have helped hundreds of U.S. factories automate for the first time — this audiobook cuts through the complexity and gives you a clear, honest roadmap: where to start, how to build internal buy-in, how to choose the right partner, and how to scale from your first win into a future-proof operation.
Saman Farid, Formic’s founder and CEO, has worked in the robotics and AI space for most of
his career. He recognized, earlier than most of us, that U.S. manufacturers needed to embrace and
deploy automation to remain competitive in the global market.
He knew there was a more productive way for manufacturers to navigate the labor shortage and
be efficient on the factory floor. For the majority of companies, the best place to start automating
is at the end-of-line, where all the manual packing and stacking of boxes happens.
But it wasn’t just about improving business productivity; it was also about enhancing employee
well-being and creating a production solution that was scalable on demand, adaptable to
changing business needs, and didn’t require being a robot expert to maintain optimal
performance.
That’s how he came to Formic’s Full Service Automation, or Robots-as-a-Service, business
model. And while that’s not the only automation option there is or the only one we’re going to
focus on, it leads us to the most important question this book has set out to answer: why CPG
businesses should automate, the problems automation is solving for today, and how to get
started.
From Gaps to Growth: The Power of Automation
Every manufacturer has gaps: the small and not-so-small places where things slow down, break
down, or just don’t keep up. Maybe it’s a shift you can’t staff. Maybe it’s repetitive tasks that
wear out your team. Maybe it’s missed opportunities because your production line can’t flex fast
enough.
That’s where automation comes in. Not as a silver bullet, but as a tool that helps fill those gaps
and turn them into opportunities for growth. The companies that thrive aren’t necessarily the
ones with the biggest budgets or the most high-tech equipment. They’re the ones who find the
right solutions and develop a repeatable process to apply across the business.
We’re breaking down the real-world reasons companies like yours are turning to automation
today and the benefits they’re seeing. These are things we’ve heard firsthand from manufacturers
like you.
#1: Closing Labor Gaps
Our customers have turned to automation for various reasons, but the big one in recent years is
the need to close labor gaps. For example:
One of Formic’s California customers told us, “The workers are just not out there.”
One of our Illinois customers told us that while they could find workers, “very low retention”
was their biggest challenge.
One of our North Carolina customers emphasized that it was stuck in a never-ending
recruiting/hiring/training/churning loop in an increasingly challenging labor market.
Automation will fill in these gaps. It takes on repetitive, physically demanding tasks, reducing
reliance on hard-to-fill positions and alleviating labor shortages. Plus, robots can work without
breaks, and there’s no fear of turnover. This ensures consistent output and the ability to meet
production demands even with a smaller workforce — no matter if it is 1st, 2nd, or 3rd shift, or
overtime.
Automation addresses this merry-go-round of hiring and retraining so you can do the most with
the employees you do have.
#2: More Productivity and Efficiency
Who doesn’t want to be more productive and efficient?
I’m always implementing tips and tricks to feel more productive throughout the day. That’s why
I read and make breakfast at the same time every morning (I don’t recommend doing this with a
Kindle if you’re prone to spilling coffee like me).
In 2025, manufacturers have to contend with increased demands from customers. Buyers now
want everything quicker, they need more of it, and they want a more competitive price for it. It
might have been possible i n the past to hire a second or third shift, but now it’s a challenge to
staff and retain the first shift, never mind everything else.
At the same time, demand for CPG products is projected to grow from $160.75 billion in 2024 to
$244.92 billion by 2030. This means the problems you are having keeping up with production
aren’t going to get easier — they are going to get harder (sorry!). Automation can significantly
reduce downtime and boost production efficiency by handling repetitive tasks more quickly and
accurately. In the end, this creates capacity for a greater output of products while maintaining
consistency.
#3: Employee Safety, Satisfaction, and Upskilling
Most end-of-line workers who pack and stack boxes every day do a lot of bending, lifting, and
twisting while moving products. Over time, these repetitive motions lead to fatigue, injury, and
high turnover. In recent years, facility ergonomics has become a pressure point for businesses
trying to lower or eliminate reportable accident cases, lost hours of labor, and workers' comp
claims — all of which can drive up insurance premiums and negatively impact a facility’s safety
rating.
In fact, the average number of days reportedly missed due to workplace injuries in
manufacturing in 2024 was around 67, according to the 2024 Travelers Industry Report. The
most common causes of injury? Overexertion.
When companies add automation to their end-of-line, they typically transition employees in two
ways: to more high-value areas of the production line or as operators of the automation systems.
As Jason Glade, President and CEO of Taffy Town in Utah, put their reason for automating: “In
the long run, if you let equipment do more of the hard stuff and employees do more of the
thinking, you’re going to have more long-term success, retain employees, and ultimately just put
out a better product.”
According to Cyngn, companies that employ both humans and robots are 85% more productive
than companies composed of just one or the other.
#4: Scalability and Flexibility
One of the biggest barriers to automation deployment is the fear of the business outgrowing a
pricey system. It’s traditionally expensive to invest in automation, especially if you buy the
solution outright. Not only does the system cost money, but internal expertise is required to
maintain it. It also takes patience to actually see any real return on investment. With your
business needs changing often due to growth and customer requests, it is hard to future-proof
your production line. So, how do you get the productivity without the risk of spending precious
capital on a system that you’ll likely outgrow?
Automation can be flexible and scalable. Modern automation solutions, like Full Service
Automation (Robots-as-a-Service), allow companies to grow with their systems and adapt to new
product lines, packaging formats, or seasonal demand spikes without extensive retooling or
hiring surges.
Maybe you’ve already heard all of these reasons for automating, and you get it. You want to
automate or at least know you should to help your business for one or all of these reasons.
You’ve thought long and hard about it before, maybe even for the last few months or years. But
where do you start?
#5: Eliminating Chargebacks and Returns
Your wide range of customers likely have different requirements for the way you pack and stack
your product when shipping to them. Lack of compliance with these requirements leads to
denied shipments, returns, and fines, ultimately resulting in the loss of business and reduction of
your quality score with your customer.
Chargebacks and returns are more than just an inconvenience; they’re a direct hit to your bottom
line. For many CPG businesses, especially those working with major retailers, even a small
mistake in packaging, labeling, or order accuracy can lead to costly returns. One wrong barcode.
One mispacked box. One missed delivery window. Suddenly, you're not only losing money,
you’re also risking long-term partnerships. How do these errors happen so often?
We’ve all been in a situation where you’re doing the same thing over and over again, and before
you realize it, you’ve zoned out and can’t remember where you were in the process or how long
you’ve been out of it. You started stacking the pattern for Walmart, but switched over to the
Target pattern mid-pallet without noticing. Now it’s all wrong. With programmable automation
systems, there’s a reduction in error because robots perform tasks with the same level of
precision and accuracy every time.
Even if you’re able to pay attention 100% of the time, you will get tired. Robots don’t suffer
from mental and physical fatigue, which often leads to mistakes in long shifts, especially when
performing repetitive tasks.
Here’s where automation shines. Robots are precise. When programmed correctly, they don’t
make labeling mistakes or forget to double-check case pack counts. They don’t have off days.
They don’t rush because it's the end of a shift. Automation ensures that the final product
consistently meets customer specs, whether that means applying the right label in the right spot,
making sure each box contains the correct quantity, or aligning with a retailer’s unique
palletization requirements.
Fewer errors mean fewer defective shipments, fewer complaints, and better customer satisfaction
across the board.
If you’re spending hours every month managing disputes or negotiating with frustrated retail
partners, it’s worth asking: how much of this could automation eliminate for good?
#6: So You Can Actually Handle More Business
It’s a good problem to have: Demand is up. Orders are coming in faster. New opportunities are
on the table. But… can your operations handle it?
For most established CPG businesses, the bottleneck isn’t sales, it’s fulfillment. You’ve done the
work to get more customers in the door, and they love working with you, always asking for more
product or variations in packaging. But now you’re held back by the physical limits of the
processes on your line. You don’t have enough people. You don’t have enough hours in the day.
You don’t have the repeatable processes to scale production without adding mistakes or cost.
Automation changes that. When you automate, you’re no longer confined by the same
limitations. Robots don’t get tired. They don’t call in sick. They don’t leave for another job after
three weeks of training. They don’t complain about when they have to work. They’re ready to go
whether it’s first, second, third shift, or overtime.
That means when a new customer comes to you with a request that will push your production
limit, you don’t have to scramble to accommodate them or turn away business. You can handle
the surge required to meet the opportunity with confidence and consistency.
One of the most powerful things automation does is unlock capacity you didn’t know you had.
The gaps are there, but so are the opportunities. Automation helps you fill those spaces,
strengthen your operations, and grow into what’s next. The only question is: where will you
start?
Key Chapter #1 Takeaways:
Automation isn’t just a future investment; it’s a right-now solution to the labor, efficiency, and
scalability challenges facing today’s manufacturers. From closing labor gaps and increasing
productivity to improving employee safety and eliminating costly errors, automation is helping
CPG businesses turn operational pain points into growth opportunities. As demand continues to
rise and workforce constraints persist, the companies that thrive will be the ones that act now.
The journey starts by identifying the gaps and taking the first step to fill them.