INDUSTRY WATCH
and goods from source to fulfilment.
The entire food manufacturing value
chain is experiencing a technology driven
transition. The networked digital world is
introducing faster and more intelligent ways
to manage and optimise the food supply
chain, improving visibility and safety, and
facilitating compliance with the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) as well as the
Food Safety Modernisation Act (FSMA).
Software plays a crucial role in logistics
automation operations as well. Such material
handling software as SynQ, for example,
can also help you unite all processes. It can
visualise your system in 3D and allow you
to synchronise automation equipment,
is one of the largest vertically integrated dairy
companies in the world. To serve the growing
domestic and international markets, Almarai
invested in automated picking, stacking and
storing solutions from Swisslog and KUKA
for its palletised fresh and refrigerated foods.
Challenged by the climatic environment with
an extremely high temperature range (from
+50°C outside to 3°C to –5°C in its refrigerated
environment), several warehouses have
been installed for palletised finished goods
and a fully automated picking and goods
distribution centre.
The technologies used include SAP EWM
(Extended Warehouse Management
System) to control the material flows and
FLEXIBLE ROBOTICS AND
DATA-DRIVEN SOLUTIONS IS
THE DIRECTION WE SEE.
robotics, people and processes for peak
performance, and offers intelligent services
for smart management.
Can you give examples of how this
is currently happening?
In the Middle East, we have two examples
of automated logistics solutions delivered
for the F&B industry. The first is for Mai
Dubai, UAE, and concerns automated
pallet logistics for beverage production. Mai
Dubai, the Dubai-based bottled drinking
water company, has commissioned Swisslog
to automate its storage and distribution
logistics at its new mega expansion project
in Dubai in order to reach its 2020 goals.
The order value of the project amounts to
US$21 million. The major expansion project
includes planning and implementing a new
six-aisle automated high-bay warehouse for
raw products and packaging materials. A
few hundred metres away, another high-bay
warehouse with 17,560 pallet locations will
be erected for finished goods.
Another brand that has been automated
by Swisslog is Almarai in Saudi Arabia and
concerns refrigerated high-volume palletising
and storing. The Saudi Arabian group Almarai
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INTELLIGENTCIO
data intelligently and efficiently. To ensure
that the new logistics centre runs smoothly
and is ready for Industry 4.0, Almarai uses
the Swisslog System Operation service
concept (24/7) and the latest augmented
reality service features.
What are your forecasts for
automation trends we can expect
to see in the near future?
The supply chain is being impacted by a
number of trends resulting both from the
broader changes in society and advances in
technology. Some of these are:
• Omnichannel logistics that facilitate
smarter deliveries and address changing
consumer habits
• The entrance of digital technologies
(Blockchain, drones, 3D printing,
autonomous mobile robots, IoT
connectivity, Big Data and Virtual Reality
among others)
• Customer-centric production
and personalisation
These are just a few examples. In general,
the future for intralogistics isn’t in a single
technology like robotics, or sensors, or even
Big Data, but rather how these elements
can be tied together. Flexible robotics
and data-driven solutions is the direction
we see, with the end goals being cost-
competitiveness for operations and a
higher level of responsiveness and product
availability for end customers. Currently
we are seeing some very interesting trends
in the Middle East including:
• Artificial Intelligence and
robotics: The next wave of change
is being brought about by Artificial
Intelligence. A warehouse that deploys
robots reduces costs significantly while
boosting efficiency.
• Focus on supply chain visibility
and orchestration: Increasingly
businesses in the Middle East are
focusing on better visibility of supply
chains. This is only natural, given
that the Middle East is a retail-strong
economy. Greater visibility will mean
an improved ability to orchestrate the
supply chain for efficiency, service and
lower costs.
• Smart last mile fulfilment: Last mile
fulfilment is always a big expense
for companies. Therefore, there is a
clear need to look for efficient and
economic solutions.
• 3D Printing: 3D printing is becoming
increasingly popular in the Middle
East. Customers with 3D printing
capabilities only have to download
patterns and create their own parts
on site. The aerospace industry is an
example of one such sector that has
adopted this technique. If this trend
continues, it is not an exaggeration
to say that distribution centres may
become printer farms in the future
rather than the warehouses of today.
• Blockchain and smart contracts:
Blockchain and smart contracts are
very popular in the financial services
industry. While it is still a relatively
new concept in warehousing and
logistics, the current trend indicates
that this will be a way of life in the
future. Blockchain enables ‘smart
contracts’ which is the ideal solution
for quality issues, late payments,
delivery disputes etc. that are daily
issues for logistics companies. n
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