Unleashing Automation for ME Pharma Supply Chains: SSI Schaefer & Nahdi Partnership Continues to Drive Growth and Resilience

 'Revolutionized' Jeddah facility increases efficiency by 98.5% and reaches 100,000 items of maximum daily picking capacity, Nahdi shares in recent interview

• Two years after launch, Nahdi's IMDAD facility developed in partnership with SSI Schaefer shows marked gains in capacity, efficiency, and competitive advantage
• Future-ready automation systems and data analytics are keys to its success
• Partnership demonstrates potential for digital transformation and automation to transform pharmaceutical supply chains across Middle East

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, March 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SSI Schaefer, a global leader in intralogistics and automated warehouses, is announcing several key milestones of its partnership with Saudi Arabia's Nahdi Medical Company on the 250,000 m² Jeddah-based IMDAD facility — the Middle East's first automated pharmaceutical distribution center. As March 2024 marks the two-year anniversary of its opening, both companies are celebrating their joint achievements:

• 98.5% increase in warehouse efficiency with automation, helping to meet growing online orders
• Fully automated order fulfillment capabilities; comprehensive data analysis and real-time inventory tracking; temperature-controlled logistics; and built-in flexibility and scalability
• 100,000 items of maximum daily picking capacity, exceeding 5,500 shipping totes

To explore starting your automation journey with SSI Schaefer, please contact its experts at [email protected].

In a recent interview with Global Supply Chain Magazine, Eng. Yasir Jamal, the Chief Supply Chain Officer at Nahdi, shared his experience working with SSI Schaefer and what has made the project a success. Read the full interview here.

The case for automation in healthcare

Mr. Jamal explained: "Ultimately, automation is the cornerstone in our pursuit of excellence. We firmly believe that it plays a pivotal role in elevating customer satisfaction by ensuring operational efficiency, unwavering compliance with industry standards, and, most crucially, the consistent and timely delivery of critical medical supplies."

"If you're unsure where to begin, SSI Schaefer is the recommended partner of choice to guide you through your design and consultancy phase up till the implementation phase with over 80 years of industry experience."

Enhancing competitive positioning with automation

Elaborating on automation's business impact, Mr. Jamal shared: "The incorporation of SSI Schaefer's solutions has revolutionized our competitive positioning. We've streamlined our operations, which prepared us to be adaptable to changing market demands and trends. On top of that, data-driven decision-making has become integral to our approach. The enhanced customer experience is a direct result of our efforts, and accuracy and timeliness in order fulfillment have been significantly improved."

Digital transformation at IMDAD

Mr. Jamal noted, "Thanks to WAMAS, SSI Schaefer's proprietary logistics software, our maximum daily picking capability is up to 100,000 order lines exceeding 5,500 shipping totes since the pickers do not need to walk down endless aisles to locate and consolidate the products."

"Data is power. Many successful organizations establish their footwork into robotics and automation through the power of data. Likewise, in Nahdi, data helps the company generate insights and exposes gaps for improved performance, higher efficiency, and profitability. The digital transformation has yielded a significant sum of investments in its capabilities, particularly with a strong logistics analytics system."

About SSI Schaefer

The SSI Schaefer Group is a leading global solution provider for all areas of intralogistics. With innovative technologies and software, the company empowers small to medium-sized enterprises as well as large companies  to increase the efficiency and sustainability of their storage, picking, and transport processes -- offering complete solutions spanning fully automated warehouses with tailored service and maintenance packages, to robotics and automated guided vehicles, to manual and semi-automatic systems such as workstations, racks, and containers.

For further information, please visit the company's newly updated website: https://www.ssi-schaefer.com/en-asia/