Cold Chain Automation - The Körber Advantage

In the past few years, the world of supply chain management has seen an explosion of cutting-edge technologies and practices to streamline operations and enhance efficiency. The implications of these developments are far-reaching and have changed the way we manage warehousing.

The global cold chain market is expanding. Valued at nearly $210.49 billion in 2020, it is expected to reach $628.26 billion by 2028, growing at a rate of 14.8%. (ref) In the past few years, the world of supply chain management has seen an explosion of cutting-edge technologies and practices to streamline operations and enhance efficiency. The implications of these developments are far-reaching and have changed the way we manage warehousing.  

Cold Supply Chain in ASEAN 

As discussed in the previous blogs in the series, the demand for frozen food and hence, an efficient cold chain, is ever increasing in ASEAN, especially in the post COVID-19 pandemic environment.  

However, the region also faces high generation of food waste due to issues that negatively impact the supply chain system like poor local water and energy conditions, higher temperatures leading to faster spoilage of food, shortage of raw materials, scarcity of skilled labour and improper infrastructure.  

In addition, businesses are also facing challenges with rising cost of land, energy, and increasing demand of customers for faster and more efficient order fulfillment. To stay competitive, businesses are increasingly opting for automated warehouses to help overcome these issues.

Automated Warehousing - Making Smart Cold Chain with Körber

The initial investment for automating the cold store will be higher but the running costs in the long run will be lower. Many parameters need to be considered in getting the right automation solution for business owners. The weightage or importance for each of these parameters will vary between different businesses and therefore it is important to understand what the different puzzles are and to put them together when planning for an automated warehouse. A wide range of technological solutions are available today to help businesses facing supply chain issues like: 

1. Automated high bay warehouses with storage capacity beyond 40m in height help achieve higher storage density and optimum space utilization. They also help reduce dependency on human labour, leading to greater efficiency and reduced costs. 
    
2. Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems efficiently manage and maintain inventory and ensure proper storage with consistent and safe product handling. ASRS also eliminate the need for manual equipment, and reduce damage to racks, doors etc. 
     
3. Continuous temperature monitoring systems control refrigerator and freezer temperatures to ensure there is no spoilage or contamination and provide alerts in case of errors and breakdowns so they can be fixed in time. Proper maintenance of temperature also reduces energy consumption and improves working conditions for labour.  
     
4. Warehouse Management System offers traceability by tracking the source and movement of goods which helps in planning for receipt and shipping. It also helps with accurate inventory management, that reduces stockouts, delays, redeliveries, and ensures perishable foods are shipped as per shelf life/expiration dates.   

Körber capabilities 

A single company - All for your intralogistics applications! As a highly experienced system integrator in the implementation of complex projects for major leading companies in different fields, Körber Supply Chain is the right partner to design the most suitable storage, distribution and handling systems.  

As a product supplier, our vast experience has enabled us to enhance our portfolio by successfully designing equipment using cutting-edge technology: stacker cranes, miniloads, shuttles, automated guided vehicles, rail guided vehicles, conveyors, among others. All these products are entirely designed and assembled within our company, giving us an unsurpassed understanding of the core technologies. By constantly investing in specialised product design, we can assure flexibility, modularity and customisation. No matter the load to be carried, container type, size or weight, we have the appropriate product to meet every customer's specific requirements. 

Our in-house engineers manage everything for you: consultancy, planning, solution definition, equipment design, manufacturing and assembly, software development, integration and commissioning. Our goal is to create optimised and cost-efficient turnkey solutions for a sustainable return of your investment.

Conclusion: 

The world of warehousing is undergoing a major transformation. An efficient and smart cold supply chain is not only beneficial for businesses and the economy, but also helps reduce food loss at the production level and food waste at the retail and consumer level. A robust cold supply chain also helps in the efficient and timely distribution of life-saving medicines and vaccines, thus improving the health of the community as a whole. 

Join hands with Korber to be a part of the solution. Get in touch today to understand how automation can change your business for the better. 

This article is part of a series: 

Click here to go to article one: Food Waste: A Global Problem

Click here to go to article two: A Case for Automating Your Warehouse

Author: Win Thian Chai
Chief Executive Officer
Körber Supply Chain Automation Asia