For supermarkets and grocery stores with commercial equipment driving operations in their bakeries, butcheries and prepared foods departments, the installation of new assets could mean a lot of added efficiency and better value propositions for customers.

However, these businesses have to survive the installation process first. Depending on the scope of the project, that may be easier said than done.

Partnering with an equipment provider offering turnkey service solutions can save you from a lot of hassle in more ways than you might imagine. Here’s why:

1. Installation requires full attention
Bad things can happen when equipment installers can’t focus on hooking up a gas line to a new oven or piecing together the latest deli slicer model. And if your organization relies on its regular employees to perform installations, that’s exactly what’s going to happen.

Which is more important to deli workers? Serving customers or getting new equipment running? By forcing them to decide, you’re setting up yourself and your business to fail. But with an installation specialist behind the scenes doing his or her job, your employees can devote more attention to theirs.

2. Speedy installation means less time in equipment limbo
Think back to your childhood – what were the three most dreaded words when receiving gifts? “Some assembly required.”

That simple phrase meant you would have to perform a little labor before enjoying your new plaything. Some of you won’t have to reminisce about your younger years. Perhaps you’ve purchased furniture for your home recently, the kind that comes in pieces and calls for a tool box, not to mention a whole lot of patience.

In a commercial setting, however, a drawn-out installation could also mean working around the issue until the process is complete. When you consider all the different kinds of equipment a prepared foods department or a bakery would replace, a once-easy customer order could be much more labor- and cost-intensive if you’re out one oven because the new one isn’t ready to go.

When you hire an installation specialist, on the other hand, you’re putting an expert to work, not to mention someone who possesses the foresight to account for lurches a novice installer might get wrapped up in.

These are not items that can simply go with the rest of the trash, which means businesses may hang onto them for long periods of time until they finally decide how to safely dispose of them. In the meantime, these companies waste valuable storage space and may even make their cooking areas look like a junkyard. Who’d want to buy food from an organization that does that?

3. You don’t know the first thing about properly disposing of old equipment
Supermarket and grocery store staff ought to know a thing or two about food waste, how it happens and how it can be minimized with the proper policies. But what about proper disposal or recycling practices for broken or outdated appliances?

Instead, let the installation expert handle disposal so you and your team can concern yourselves with integrating the new investment into current operations smoothly.

4. You could hurt yourself
Workplace injuries cost businesses a lot of money – according to the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration, American employers pay an estimated total of $1 billion every week to manage direct workers’ compensation costs. That doesn’t include indirect, intangible costs like inefficiencies due to staff losses.

Don’t place you or your employees at risk because you want to save a few dollars on your next equipment purchase. The price for installation is downright negligible when you consider how much an injured worker could cost in the long run. Professional installation specialists know exactly which tools they need to disassemble and transport old equipment. By seeking out the right turnkey service solutions, you reduce your liability to null.

5. Installation may include professional training
Depending on the vendor you partner with, the installation specialist may even be able to train staff and supervisors on how to get the most out of new equipment. That’s crucial, considering how necessary equipment training is in a culinary environment, as well as how costly training can be if not performed correctly.

Did you purchase a new piece of equipment because it included an array of attractive features you’ve never had in your kitchen before? Let the specialist demonstrate do’s and don’ts so you avoid the guesswork. Did you buy new equipment because of its bigger size? Let the specialist show you how to master high-capacity equipment without causing additional waste.

Horizon Bradco representatives not only install equipment, but we’ll train staff and answer your questions at your business or in our state-of-the-art test kitchen facility.

Installation should be a part of any business’s plan for acquiring the latest commercial equipment. Before you invest, be sure you’re partnered with an equipment dealer proficient in project management that can provide turnkey solutions.