Tutor Intelligence demoed its palletizing robot at Pack Expo Las Vegas 2025. Over three days, we had hundreds of conversations with manufacturers, packagers, and logistics teams — all facing a familiar challenge: labor is hard to find, and even harder to keep.
The uncertainty around staffing is forcing plant managers and operations leads to think differently about how they build resilient operations. Many told us that while they know automation can help, the traditional model of massive capital investments feels too risky in today’s environment.
That’s exactly why our Robots as a Service (RaaS) model resonated with so many attendees this year.
What is Robots as a Service (RaaS)?
Robots as a Service is a business model that allows companies to access robotic devices through a subscription-based service, rather than paying one giant upfront cost for a piece of machinery. Instead of making a hefty capital investment, RaaS allows businesses to pay a monthly subscription fee that mimics traditional labor costs. This affordable automation model significantly reduces the financial risk and lowers the barrier to entry for companies looking to automate their operations. With RaaS, automation costs scale directly with demand, making it a flexible, cost-effective solution for growing businesses. Learn more about how our RaaS model works.
Insights from Pack Expo 2025: What We Heard
Pack Expo gave us a chance to connect directly with people running production lines day in and day out. A few key themes stood out:
- Labor challenges are still the top priority. Nearly every operations leader we spoke with mentioned turnover, hiring delays, or unplanned downtime due to staffing shortages.
- Flexibility matters more than ever. Facilities are looking for automation that can adapt to short production runs, changing SKUs, and shifting customer demand.
- Risk reduction is key. Decision-makers want to automate — but they need a model that doesn’t tie up capital or require long ROI horizons.
These takeaways reinforce what we’ve believed from the start: innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum. RaaS works best when it’s grounded in the day-to-day realities of plant operations.
Why RaaS Fits Today’s Manufacturing Landscape
Unlike traditional automation purchases, RaaS aligns incentives between customer and provider.
If the robots don’t perform, you don’t use them, and we don’t profit. When they do perform, everyone wins.
This shared-success model creates a feedback loop where both sides stay invested in efficiency and uptime. That’s what’s driving RaaS adoption across packaging, food, and logistics industries. See how Tutor’s cobots are deployed in real operations.
Looking Ahead
Pack Expo 2025 reminded us why we do what we do: to make automation accessible.
RaaS isn’t just a pricing model — it’s a pathway for manufacturers to stay competitive, even in unpredictable labor markets.
If you didn’t get a chance to meet us at the show, you can still learn more about our flexible palletizing systems and how they can reduce operational costs by 30–40%.