Dematic is a global leader providing a comprehensive range of intelligent intralogistics and materials handling solutions. With a global knowledge network of over 4,000 highly skilled logistics professionals, Dematic is able to provide its customers with a unique perspective in world class materials handling solution design.
WLN – As a leading supplier in the Integrated Materials Handling category, what has the last year been like for your business? How about for the rest of your sector?
The market has continued last year’s trend and has remained buoyant. The overall sector has seen good growth with the vertical markets of e-commerce, apparel, grocery, general merchandise and parcel seeing the highest growth levels. For Dematic Ltd we have seen another strong year of growth with order intake up on last year.
Based on the market demand currently, the real question for the whole sector is can supply keep up with demand? and this has been one of Dematic’s key focus areas this year ‘building up supply capacity’. With the opening of our new flagship production facility in Mexico in August, which has doubled our global production capability, Dematic has invested in building further capacity to ensure we keep up with the market growth and the higher customer demand levels we are seeing globally for our products and services.
WLN – What are your best-known products and services?
Dematic have a large range of products and services, and it is difficult to pinpoint what we are best known for, but generally we are known for our ASRS (automated storage and retrieval systems) which include Pallet cranes, Miniload cranes and Multishuttle systems, which were all ‘innovation firsts’ introduced to the logistics market by Dematic. More and more software is becoming our largest investment area, as the importance of intelligent software is becoming key to the next generation of solution innovation.
WLN – What changes have you made to your core offering in the last year?
We have been developing some new solution offerings over the past few years which have really been introduced to the market this year. A large area of investment for Dematic is in our AMCAP® system (Automated Mixed Case Palletising System).
Dematic AMCAP® is the most advanced high performance system for fully automatic storespecific palletising of different goods and packaging units currently available in the market. It is the first system that does not require the use of additional trays. The system enables the integration of lean processes to achieve an extremely compact design.
AMCAP’s® overall concept delivers outstandingly high palletising rates. The AMCAP® solution works faster than other automatic systems and consequently achieves new all-time performance benchmarks in productivity and throughput. The system also offers good scalability and allows flexible expansion by means of additional sub-systems.
At the same time, the system has low space requirements and consequently reduces the customer’s total investment, which is reflected in a shorter return-on-investment period.
We also launched our RapidPut solution targeted for e-commerce and omni- channel retailers. Since its introduction the solution has taken off within the marketplace with three solutions sold this year in the UK alone.
The solution is rapid to deploy, quick to ramp up, grows with your business, and offers a very cost effective solution with rapid return on investment. Due to its sheer popularity within the logistics market, Dematic have set up a permanent demonstration of this solution at its UK Head Office showcasing Dematic’s advanced software platform, Dematic iQ, which specifically addresses the needs of these markets.
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WLN – What new products and services have you introduced?
Earlier this year Dematic successfully completed its purchase of SDI Group Europe which has significantly increased our portfolio of products and offerings to the market. The purchase now means Dematic can offer a full spectrum of products for most warehousing applications but specifically for GOH (Goods on Hanger) solutions and of course the Pouch Sorter system. The pouch sorter is a highly scalable automated hanging system, designed with the ability to buffer and sort both hanging and flat goods simultaneously. This flexibility makes it ideal to consolidate discreet elements of an order at a single packing station.
Improved productivity is a key advantage of the pouch sorter as it has the ability to allow e-commerce retailers to move to a batch pick operation allowing a significant increase (typically 100% – 200%) in picking rates.
The Dematic pouch sorter is scalable and can grow with your business with low risk integration. The system can be installed into an existing operation with a switch from order pick to batch taking place once the sorter is installed and tested.
Service levels can be improved as orders are picked faster and can be directed to specific packing stations, allowing later cut off times enabling end customers to place orders online much later than would ordinarily be achievable.
The purchase of SDI with its complimentary product range to that of Dematic offers our customers a true single source supplier.
WLN – What industries are your customers in?
Overall we have a very wide spread of customers, and of course this has changed over the years, but our core vertical markets are:- E-Commerce, general merchandise, apparel, grocery, food and beverage, parcel, wholesale/B2B and of course third party logistics.
WLN – Can you tell us about some of your customers and the work you do for them?
We have a very large and prestigious client base which includes some of the largest names in the sector. We tend to work on a collaborative and consultative basis, preferring to support customers in addressing their needs as opposed to working to very prescriptive requirements. The answer to many problems lies within data, and analysing customers data is normally our starting point, which helps us to develop the most appropriate concept. For our clients, our holistic approach to creating and installing intelligent solutions ensures a far simpler, reliable and competitive result – and with just one capable supplier on the project the client has a single point of responsibility, which ultimately reduces the client’s exposure to risk.
WLN – What were your company’s biggest achievements in the last 12 months?
The acquisition and subsequent merger of SDI Group Europe with Dematic.
WLN – Are you currently investing in the business, taking on staff or going into new markets or countries? If so, how’s it going?
Due to Dematic’s rapid growth over the last three years we continue to build capacity within our business. To support this, we have heavily invested in the business infrastructure, supply chain capability, management and execution staff. We have also adopted Lean Six Sigma and recently launched our Academy which amplifies excellence in both customer and internal training and overall process improvements.
WLN – What are you doing to bring on new talent and raise skills levels in your company?
Finding new talent in a buoyant market is a challenge to any business, which is why we have launched our Academy. The Academy scheme will enable Dematic to attract the best and brightest talent within the market, which is part of our plan to continue to invest in our business and employees.
Dematic will open its doors to its flagship new UK head office and Academy during the summer of 2016, which will offer world-class training, graduate and apprenticeship schemes in an industry leading environment, offering outstanding facilities which will lead the way in terms of its forward thinking approach to employee and customer well-being and welfare.
WLN – What are the major issues facing the Integrated Materials Handling category as we go forward? How is your company addressing them?
Due to such high demands in the market there is a risk of demand outstripping supply and while some suppliers may see this as opportunity, to many customers this spells risk. We are starting to see some customers pre-buying capacity in the market or opting for a preferred supplier route, therefore reducing the overall available capacity to the open market.
Also due to the onslaught of omni-channel distribution, retailers are facing a huge logistical challenge trying to create a seamless supply chain capable of replenishing stores efficiently, whilst simultaneously coping with an ever-growing volume of internet sales. This calls for a radical rethink of the distribution centre, as retailers can no longer afford to consider store and internet fulfilment as separate operations.
WLN – Will you be exhibiting at any major trade shows in the coming year?
Following a successful IMHX in 2013, Dematic have signed up for the 2015 international materials handling show and will be showcasing our innovative products, software and service solutions. We will be demonstrating how we differentiate ourselves from our competitors and illustrate how we fulfil the demands and expectations of our customers.
WLN – What other big news from Dematic can our readers look forward to reading in Warehouse & Logistics News in 2016?
As already highlighted, there is the opening of our flagship new head office and Academy which will also include a large customer demonstration and training facility. We will launch our fully active monitoring service for our installed sites and the introduction of an industry forum event, hosted in our impressive new conferencing suite.
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