For example, a product as simple a bottle of water now dominates a complete aisle of a grocery store to accommodate different flavor preferences and nutritional restrictions. With each new product comes new storage and transportation specifications, making it even more complex for supply chains to keep stores stocked.
How Technology Can Help Keep Food & Beverage Supply Chains Moving
Implementing automation technology like Rail Guided Vehicles (RGV) or Stacker Cranes into their supply chain gives power back to the shippers, reducing the workload and increasing efficiency.
A Successful Story
When Portuguese brewer Super Bock Group decided to centralize its distribution process, it faced the monumental task of streamlining its supply chain to:
- Reduce operating costs while optimizing storage volume
- Leverage its new space properly to ensure it had plenty of room to grow, based on its long-term strategy
The distribution center powered by Körber allowed Super Bock to overcome huge challenges regarding the centralization of warehouses and distribution in the northern and central region. Reducing operating costs and order preparation errors, the beverage company is now speeding up procedures such as cross-docking and picking, with permanent and reliable inventory control, optimization of the storage volume and full integration of the logistics center with the central IT system (SAP).
“This is a complex solution. We have more than 600 conveyors on site, we have 4 loops of RGV, we have 10 stacker cranes double pallet, double deep, and we have 11 lifts – All of this working seamlessly together.” highlights Pedro Alves, Projects and Processes Manager.
How to Get More from Your Warehouse?
By Brewing a Successful Automation Strategy
On May 27th Pedro Alves and António Conde will talk about Super Bock Group biggest challenges.
In this 30-minute webinar, you’ll learn how technology creates new efficiencies and opportunities in beverage distribution, and your takeaways will be some best practices for your own automation initiatives.
