Addressing the Challenges of the Temperature-Controlled Logistics for the Food Industry

COLD STORAGE FACILITIES ARE IN GREATER DEMAND THAN EVER IN INDIA

?The deep-freeze and temperature-controlled food categories have seen significant development owing to the changes in eating patterns, year-round food supply, increased single-person households, and rising demand for convenience goods.

Cold chain warehouses are a key component since they need special care. Consumers can acquire a consistent supply of their preferred cold supplies quickly and conveniently because they are accustomed to quick service deliveries and quality-controlled goods. Efficiency, cost-effectiveness, quality, and peaks must all be considered.

?The growth in retail, including e-commerce, 3PLs, and greater adoption of packaged F&B by consumers, is making new demands on India's cold chain industry.

In 2021, the Indian cold chain market reached a value of INR 1585.1 billion. According to market research company IMARC, the market will reach INR 3637.4 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 14.72% from 2022 to 2027.

India currently produces more milk than any other country in the world, comes in second for fruits and vegetables, and creates a sizeable amount of meat, poultry, and marine products. Most of these goods are temperature-sensitive and must be stored within particular temperature ranges. This necessitates the need for a substantial cold chain infrastructure across the country.

THE CHALLENGES OF COLD STORAGE

Cold chains must use cutting-edge equipment to keep food at a precise, constant temperature and ensure time efficiency to keep expenses at a minimum. Another expensive endeavor that requires careful planning and monitoring is preserving food quality and reducing waste. To ensure quick dispatches, traceability is also crucial. But high traceability could require more human intervention, and that leads to the second challenge that needs tackling; Workplace ergonomics.?

It is an additional endeavor to plan out the in and out time for workers and ensuring their safety while working in such controlled and cold surroundings.

On the inside, the question arises: how to achieve efficiency in a harsh working environment? The short answer is "Automation."

AUTOMATE TO MEET DEMANDS WITH INCREASED EFFICIENCY?

The evolved expectations from cold chains are efficiency, safety, quality control, and speed. However, cold storage warehouses need a radical transformation to meet these new requirements. In this environment, cold chain automation solutions provide an effective way to conquer supply chain complexity. In addition, businesses in the industry are increasingly keen to leverage technology to achieve their growth goals at an optimized cost of ownership. Cold storage warehouse automation solutions enable organizations to deliver on promises to customers while navigating a challenging physical environment.

A wide range of technologies such as Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS), Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), Rail Guided Vehicles (RGVs), Conveyors, and Layer Picker solutions ensure faster delivery, addressing pressing workforce shortage and safety concerns, as well as maximizing the utilization of space in cold storage facilities.

?Godrej K?rber – The next step in the evolution for Cold Chain Logistics

?Godrej K?rber can assist you with its flexible and scalable system solutions for the food sector regardless of the temperature range. This will result in your intralogistics to be more effective, and sustainable.

?For your whole “Manufacturing value chain, from connecting your manufacturing facilities to RM/PM warehouses, receiving, sorting, storing, picking procedures, and dispatches, we offer perfectly designed solutions from a single source. In addition to connecting to the customer's ERP system, the correct IT solution is essential to the success of efficient operations.

This ensures that production receives adequate raw materials with no delays in their acceptance.

Godrej K?rber is committed to transforming India's cold storage facilities by providing unique high-density storage automation systems, and holistically addressing such supply chain complexities, straddling both consultancy and products.

?As a system integrator, we have the best-in-class IT to seamlessly integrate various systems and material handling equipments together and our automation and robotics based cold chain solutions spanning palletization, storage, movement, and order fulfillment solutions leverage innovative technology to upgrade manual processes consistently. Through advanced technology and innovation and immense experience, these solutions allow a safer work environment for workers while simultaneously ensuring efficiency and functionality in warehouse processes.

THE FUTURE IS AUTOMATION

The warehouse industry is undergoing a paradigm shift. Labor and cost concerns, changing market requirements, and strict regulations can affect cold chain operations in ways that are entirely different from 'dry' warehouse environments. This results in significant risks leading to losses for both the business and customers. To mitigate these concerns, and leverage the opportunity that a growing market presents, cold chain systems need to step up and support the changing manufacturing landscape. Warehouse automation solutions which are designed to improve efficiency for cold chain businesses can go a long way in enabling sustainable growth for the industry. It is time to upgrade your warehouse into a smart warehouse.

Does this bring more questions in your mind about introducing automated solutions into your warehouse? For a free consultation to help you take the first step toward automation, get in touch with us