In October 2020, Coop, one of the leading food retailers in Sweden, and SSI Schaefer, the world’s leading provider of modular warehousing and logistics solutions, announced the starting point of their long-term collaboration.
Once again SSI Schaefer met up with Mats Tornard, Project Manager of Strategic Supply Chain at Coop, to discuss and sum up the current success of the ongoing Automated Logistics Centre project. At the end of 2021, we published an article on both companies’ smooth collaboration, shared values in terms of quality and sustainability and the status of the solution installation which by that time had just started. Now it is time to update you with the latest results we have achieved together so far. Despite all the challenges and alterations, 2022 has been an eventful year for the largest automation project in Europe. The global crisis, supply chain difficulties and lack of steel failed to hold back Coop’s solution realization. If we take a look at the initial plan, all major activities follow the schedule with no disruption or delays.
“We have had a very positive experience with all our partners so far. Despite the challenging year 2022, both the building by the third party and the solution by SSI Schaefer are getting ready according to the realization plan”, shares Mats Tornard.
Constant change is the new stability
The past few years have been tricky in terms of planning for the future as behavioral habits shifted significantly. During the project realization Coop updated input data, analyzed it and concluded that the handover date volumes will reach 2027’s planned volumes. This means both the industry’s and the company’s growth have been outplaying the boldest expectations. While volume increase is undoubtedly great news, it comes with the consequences of solution revising and design changes.
“During the solution’s realization stage we reviewed the data and found out that to handle the increased volumes in the future Coop will need more focus on palletizing and depalletizing. We are happy with the solution by SSI Schaefer as it allows extension at any point even in the middle of construction. In the dynamic world of today this is exactly what we need”, continues Mats.
What has been done so far: installation of the system
When we talk about shared values, sustainability and ergonomic work environments come to mind first. These were the core points for Coop at the solution design stage: to reach high efficiency without compromising on the important aspects.
Goods will arrive by railroad straight to the warehouse to minimize CO2 footprint and maintain an eco-friendly approach. The goods receiving zone is equipped with the conveying system for pallets, which has already been completed and is now on a test run. High-Bay warehouses in both, chilled and ambient zones have been assembled and launched together with the pallet cranes that serve for storage and retrieval of goods for buffering.
When the items are needed for restocking the main storage area, they arrive at the depalletizing station. Depalletizing, as well as mixed palletizing stations, are in progress due to additional solution extension during realization, i.e. more robots. When the goods are split into individual cases, they are transported by a bin conveyor to a storage area. SSI Schaefer has just completed one of two parts of the bin conveying system.
The 3D-MATRIX Solution® by SSI Schaefer is intended to serve as a buffer for cases. The storage locations are operated by SSI Flexi shuttles, which are responsible for storage, loading and retrieval. The buffer storage has also been extended and is currently a work in progress. The one part that is fully completed here is the installation of the lifts. After the cases are needed for the order, the SSI Flexi shuttles will transport them to the palletizing station where robotized equipment will take care of putting the orders together for shipping.
Assembled pallets are delivered to the buffer storage and are consolidated by the final customer or route. One of the shipping buffers is at the final stage and is ready to be launched, the rest of them are in progress.
The largest automation project in Europe is hard to miss
2022 is a significant year for Coop and its partners. Coop was awarded the shared first place of the Logistics Establishment of the Year 2022! Coop's new goods terminal in Kjula, Eskilstuna impressed the jury with its major investment in train-bound grocery logistics and that the terminal will be highly automated.
Coop's new warehouse is equipped with SSI Schaefer’s automated solutions and helps the retailer reach 95% of all the picking processes completed with automation. The main focus for the new internal logistics design was ergonomic working environment and sustainability. Coop, SSI Schaefer and other partners involved in the project visited the award ceremony to receive diplomas and flowers.
"All the nominees presented fantastic projects. We were very happy to be among great and fair competition and were honored to receive the award," said Mats Tornard immediately after the award ceremony.
The project was also noticed for Coop’s sustainable initiatives towards both, day-to-day work and the new warehouse. To add up to CO2 footprint minimization, Coop will also have solar cells on the roof. The panels are estimated to produce approximately one third of the energy that the plant will need annually. Taking into account these and other company’s green activities, the jury made a decision in favor of Coop. Coop was named Sweden's most sustainable brand in Europe's largest brand survey on sustainability - “Sustainable Brand Index 2021”. Coop received a sustainability certificate for the new site with the silver level. This means that the new warehouse was recognized for its eco-friendly building construction and also healthy and ergonomic work environment for the employees.
Coop and SSI Schaefer are creating more jobs
Every day thousands of packages are handled, formed and sent to the end customer. Such an impressive building with a fully automated solution needs qualified people to monitor and control. To ensure the optimum operation of the system, SSI Schaefer is looking for new members for their team who are interested in career development and learning about automation and robotics.
“Almost two years in the process, we are happy to share that the new logistics center is looking for employees and is ready to train and grow new specialists in the profession of the future. In total, we are looking for 79 technicians and professionals to support smooth and non-stop operations”, shares Mats.
SSI Schaefer and Coop are in need of qualified employees and there is a huge competition to get them. Instead of compromising on quality, it was decided that it is time to be a part of the changing environment. That is why the companies initiated and joined the educational program together with Yrkeshögskolan SKY, one of the largest providers of Advanced Vocational Educations in Sweden. To teach, mentor and form a set of new specialists.
One of the biggest advantages of the educational program is that all the teachers have field experience. They work within the industry on the daily basis and are able to share the most recent news, trends and techniques with the students. With the necessary drive, ambition and success during the learning process, it is possible to land employment opportunities even before graduation.
The graduates can work as Automation Technicians in both Inventory Management and installation and service industrial robots, PLC Technicians, Robotics engineers, and Maintenance technicians.
To apply for the program, a student needs a diploma from an Upper Secondary School in Sweden, a higher level of Mathematics and proficiency in Swedish. Applications can be sent via SKY’s website, www.yhsky.se. The deadline for education starting next year is on the 15th of May 2023.