How One Food Manufacturer Leveraged Automation to Adapt & Transform Company Culture

This leading food manufacturer’s digital transformation didn’t just elevate company performance, it created a better environment for the people that work there.

Every company eventually faces internal and external forces that can change the very makeup of its organizational culture. In 2020, businesses around the world faced some of the biggest challenges they have ever been up against, and it fundamentally changed the DNA of the global workforce. For one Esker customer, a leading food manufacturer, AI-driven automation made it possible to successfully address the workforce issues created by The Great Resignation, all while strengthening company culture.

Combating the aftereffects of The Great Resignation with automation

Coming out on the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic, the business world suddenly had a new, unforeseen obstacle to navigate: The Great Resignation. Companies saw higher-than-average turnover rates as employees across the globe started seeking jobs that allowed them to work remotely, or simply to mix up the mundanity of a global pandemic. It was a time that presented a new set of internal challenges for the food manufacturer.

For starters, the company’s employee demographic was becoming much younger, meaning less work experience, more human error and new expectations. Increasing resignations also led to a larger workload for the team, as there was lower headcount and rising burnout among employees. The company decided to put multiple new processes and programs in place to fix these issues.

One of the first implemented was a new training and development program for both existing and incoming employees. The company invested in creating structured training programs that included thorough checklists and documentation to help smooth the onboarding process for new employees. This helped to improve the employee experience and greatly benefited both new and existing employees, as the new hires could become efficient workers much quicker.

Data-driven decision-making also became a bigger priority for the company when it came to navigating the conditions born from The Great Resignation, as in-depth data and reporting was more readily available through Esker. The dashboards of Esker’s solution allowed them to increase their visibility throughout the organization and monitor the performance of their employees. They were also able to identify parts of their processes where bottlenecks and errors were occurring, presenting an opportunity to evaluate and improve those processes wherever necessary to help staff work smarter.

Elevating the work experience with AI-powered tools

One of the major focuses for the company had been on elevating the employee experience — to which they have been quite successful. Having a great work-life balance has become one of the major benefits that employees look for in a job, so the company implemented measures to ensure their employees have a work-life balance that keeps good people coming back day after day. With an increased level of visibility, they have been able to identify employees that have too large of a workload and are able to spread those tasks out to staff members that have time to take on additional work.

With outdated, manual processes now automated through Esker, employees can focus on the more important, value-added tasks for the organization. With some extra time and resources, the company has also been able to put a focus on developing the skills of their employees, including cross-training opportunities to increase experience with and knowledge of other processes, as well as utilizing online learning platforms to better educate staff.

With true visibility into employee performance, high-performing employees are also receiving recognition for their efforts in the form of new growth opportunities — a major win for employee morale, as it demonstrates the value and appreciation of their hard work by upper management. By investing in automation solutions like Esker and the employees that make it all happen, the company is poised to be a resilient force in their industry, ready to face any challenge that comes their way.