While most people admire well designed custom workstations in industrial settings, there are some who are hesitant when it comes to implementing them in their own applications.
BOSTONtec jumped into customs way back in its early years. Over the course of 20 plus years, we have accumulated a wealth of knowledge and experience in designing and manufacturing custom workbenches.
We would like to share our views about the three typical myths associated with industrial custom workstations.
Myth 1: Custom workstations are overkill
It would be great if you are able to build perfectly tailored ergonomic workstations straight out of the catalog. BOSTONtec does have an extensive line of products to meet the needs of most industrial environments. But the truth is even though companies might be in a same business such as retail fulfilment; none of them have the same work processes or have the exactly same setup. It is impossible for standard workstations and accessories to cover every need in diverse work settings.
Companies who truly embrace ergonomics go beyond standard products and strive for a perfect fit instead of just ‘good enough’. Other times a business starts to focus on ergonomics because they see an uptick in shoulder, neck, or back injuries. They realize they need to look at getting their industrial workstations better suited to their employees. That is when custom work benches come into play. It might surprise you but the most challenging aspect is not so much of accommodating equipment but rather adapting the industrial work benches to their users. Each human being is unique. This is why the workstation has to adapt to the worker, not the other way around.
Customs can range from a single element to a full station. It could be just a shelf specially sized for a thermal printer for easy reach, a hole cut on the work surface to fit in a scale so there is no need to lift a load, or custom brand colors to boost morale and brand loyalty. These seemingly small deviations from standard specifications could make a real difference to your workers’ productivity and wellbeing over time.
Myth 2: Custom workstations are too expensive
One of the first concerns people have about custom workbenches is the cost. Since day one BOSTONtec’s mission has been to provide affordable ergonomic workstations to our customers. Our first electric height adjustable tables came out with one actuator but were sturdy and balanced. It was revolutionary at a time when all the similar work benches in the market had two actuators and cost significantly more. Our innovative mindset enables us to provide custom solutions at competitive pricing. In addition we don’t have a minimum order requirement for our custom pieces. If you need a special sized shelf, we will build one for you. We will let you know if buying a couple more will benefit you due to tiered pricing of our suppliers.
Another way to evaluate if it is worthwhile to invest in customs is to look at the cost of a medical claim to a company. You could potentially save your company up to tens of thousands of dollars, using a custom part that costs a couple hundred dollars extra. Besides when someone gets put out of work because of the injury, you lose production. You also have to train another person to do his job. According to OSHA’s Safety Pays Program, indirect cost of WMSD (work-related musculoskeletal disorders) could be up to five times the direct cost. Companies who focus on ergonomics see that big picture.
Myth 3: Custom workstations take too long to make
BOSTONtec has been providing custom solutions for over two decades. 60% of our sales are custom orders. We have developed special work processes which allow us to be responsive and flexible. Our sales engineers, onsite engineers, sourcing experts, and manufacturing team work together efficiently to adapt to the needs of our customers.
Our product development engineers draw inspiration and experience from countless examples of good and bad ergonomic applications they see with organizations. They interact with operators who work at the industrial benches every day and often have the best ideas. We also collaborate with ergonomists who have a thorough understanding of various setups and their impact. As a result we are able to come up with cost-effective solutions quickly.
Have we piqued your interest in a custom workstation solution for your operation? Take a look at some practical examples (in the custom section of our online catalog) of how they can be implemented in fulfillment, assembly, material handling settings. If you feel inspired, our custom solutions experts are here to help incorporating your ideas into your next design. When it comes to customs, imagination is the only limit.
