Cohan, automation of their logistics centre
Colombia
Cohan
Sector: Pharmaceutical distribution
Efficiency in picking, maximum storage capacity and guaranteed safety in deliveries.
The Smartlog Group automates the COHAN logistics centre supplying medication and ingredients.
Cohan, the Antioquia hospital cooperative, is a full-service pharmaceutical operator in Colombia. It handles the supply of medication and ingredients, in response to requirements and formulas requested by its customers, whether single-dose or other hospital services. Its primary goal is to ensure the highest level of satisfaction for its customers, in particular in handling complex medication.
To keep up levels of growth and fulfil its promise to offer its customers an excellent experience, it needed to improve efficiency in picking, boost its storage capacity and cut down errors in its processes.
Vertical order preparation and storage modules
After a detailed analysis of its needs and requirements, the Smartlog Group installed the following:
- Three vertical storage modules, a Smartlift and two Smartrot carousels.
- A Put to Light guidance system for employees.
- Galys, our own warehouse management software.
Smartrot is a vertical carousel module for storage and order preparation to bring good to man, with movement driven by a motor that sends carriages on a vertical loop around a track, both upstream and downstream. Its flexible, modular design means it can adapt at any time as product volumes and sizes change.
Smartrot is the ideal solution for high-rotation product ranges with limited warehouse space, responding more efficiently to new requirements in terms of numbers of items and intensive picking, in line with the “good to man” philosophy.
The Smartlog Smartlift XL is a flexible, modular vertical order preparation and storage system consisting of two columns of trays with an inserter/extractor that moves up and down to locate the required items and retrieve them automatically as needed.
To achieve maximum performance rates, it features the put-to-light system. This consists of lights that come on to show the operator which tray to put the items in, so avoiding errors in order preparation. And Galys, our warehouse management software, makes it possible to achieve even greater efficiency.
The keys to implementing the solution
Implementing these solutions has enabled Cohan to make the most of space, save on time and costs and minimise errors, so boosting safety for patients, all of these important aspects for its customers.
High productivity and a constant flow of items
Cohan has boosted its productivity.
Cohan has increased productivity on SKU lines by 49% and on units by 23%.
The necessary items are delivered automatically to the person through an access window at waist height in order to work ergonomically and boost performance.
Together with Smartlog Galys warehouse management software, this has reduced handling of inventories, boosted product traceability, increased safety for patients and cut operating costs in these work areas.
Maintaining a constant flow of 2,000 items.
The combination of these two solutions enables the client to work with a wide variety of items, sizes and heights. The Smartlift devices are ideal for storing products of widely varying sizes and weights and a combination of frequently-changing inventories. Smartrot devices, on the other hand, are suitable for storing products of similar sizes.
With these three latest-generation modules, Cohan has managed to keep up a constant flow of 2,000 item references a day, from the facilities in its medication distribution centre to the preparation areas, for the most efficient delivery to its members and corporate clients.
Maximum use of space and fast access to all the goods
These solutions have enabled Cohan to take maximum advantage of the high-level space in its warehouse, as well as speeding up access to all goods.
Personalised technical service and support at local level.
The strategy of having a local presence in Colombia and providing a direct, close and local service both to install solutions and to maintain hardware and software played a decisive part in Cohan’s choice of the Smartlog Group as its ally.
Faced with such a wide variety of products and requirements, we needed to make the best use of warehouse space, boost productivity, shorten delivery times and cut errors to zero. The Smartlog Group offered us the chance to automate the tasks of storage, order preparation and materials handling.
Thanks to this digital transformation project, we have raised productivity by 49% on SKU lines and 23% on units, which means we have been able to provide a response to the cooperative, which increased its sales by 22% this year with the same workforce. This equipment has enabled us to cope with up to 20 orders at a time in line and in parallel, and we are keeping up a constant flow of 2,000 items. We have also boosted safety rates for patients at the same time as enhancing ergonomics and satisfaction for our employees." The result has been 100% satisfactory: for us, Smartlog is synonymous with service and availability. The fact that they deal with us locally and offer us constant technical support is a total guarantee.