Dematic was recently selected by Maria Middelares, a non-profit medical organisation, to implement the first AutoStore system for the Belgian healthcare sector. The system will supply the two hospitals in Ghent and Deinze, as well as the two medical centres in Aalter and Gentbrugge. Maria Middelares has more than 400 doctors and 2,500 staff at both hospitals.
"This is an important step in the modernisation of our logistics processes," states Isabel Verniers, the project manager reporting directly to the co-CEO/COO of Maria Middelares. "Our goal is to increase our operational efficiency by about 30 per cent through the implementation of the AutoStore system," explains Verniers. She continues: "Thanks to the high storage density, we will be able to store more stock in a smaller space, which will help realise our ambition to supply other hospitals in the future."
The solution offers scalability, a plan to reduce risk with redundant technologies, a low total cost of ownership and a reliable service package. According to Maria Middelares management, these were the decisive factors in selecting this solution.
Larger volumes
The centralisation of warehouse and pharmacy operations, in which the integration of the AutoStore system plays a crucial role, is intended to allow institutions to operate more efficiently and purchase larger volumes. This reduces the number of deliveries to hospitals and reduces traffic congestion around the participating hospitals' sites.
The new logistics centre is located on a brownfield site on the De Prijkels industrial estate in Nazareth, a municipality in East Flanders. It combines the storage facilities and pharmacies of hospitals in Ghent and Deinze and medical centres in Gentbrugge and Aalter.
Flexible and versatile
The AutoStore system consists of a 4.5-metre-high grid with space for six workstations and a capacity of more than 12,000 storage bins. The plan is to install 6,000 bins initially, with three workstations and 11 robots. By adding additional storage bins and robots, storage and order picking capacity can be scaled up quickly and easily in the future.
Because Dematic offers multiple solutions for automated storage and order picking, it was possible to design a solution tailored to the hospitals' requirements. "After analysing the specific product characteristics and order pattern, we knew that the AutoStore solution would be the most suitable," says Stijn Wouters, sales manager at Dematic.
"The decisive factors for the system were its compact footprint and excellent fit with the dimensions of the existing building. It was clear that there is no better solution in terms of cost efficiency and reliability. Also given AutoStore's track record of energy savings," says Stijn Wouters, sales manager at Dematic.
Almost perfect score
Dematic was chosen after a thorough European tender process, in which several AutoStore partners participated. The bids were evaluated based on predefined selection criteria. "Dematic achieved an almost perfect score, both in terms of technical solution, total cost of ownership, project approach and service and aftercare," says Verniers.
Verniers also says that reliability and continuity are particularly important for Maria Middelares' two sites in Ghent and Deinze. With a local team of service engineers, Dematic can easily meet the stringent response time requirements. Verniers says: "As a hospital, it is important that sudden breakdowns are fixed quickly, as the products in the AutoStore can be vital for our patients. We cannot afford to deliver them a day later."
This pioneering project marks a turning point in the Belgian healthcare sector, says Farly Orie, managing director Benelux & Nordics at Dematic. "We are proud of this first AutoStore implementation in hospitals. This innovation marks a fundamental step towards more efficient, reliable healthcare logistics that directly contributes to the health and well-being of our society. This project demonstrates that we can take healthcare to the next level through smart automation that benefits both patients and healthcare workers."
