Tine Heimdal
Logistics Master Plan
1 min read
Optimisation of Internal Transport
May 2011
Following a recently completed analysis of the internal logistics, the dairy company, Arla, is in the process of implementing the optimisations recommended by Langebæk. This includes the goal of reducing costs associated with internal transport and serves as a precursor to an upcoming automation process.
Analysis of Existing Operations
It was evident that part of the internal logistics at the dairy could benefit from automation. However, drawing on many years of automation experience, Langebæk’s recommendation was that Arla first gain a clear overview of the internal logistics, including identifying the pros and cons of the existing operations, before embarking on a true automation project.
Preparation for Automation
In the first phase, Langebæk analysed the internal transport in order to prepare the organisation for the forthcoming automation. The analysis revealed, for instance, that there was insufficient focus on the forklift drivers’ primary tasks. Partly due to the decentralised structure of the departments, forklift drivers were spending too much time on unclear or undefined tasks. The result of the first phase was an organisational change, which led to the creation of centralised control of the internal transport, based within Arla’s SAP-system.
In the forthcoming phase two, which will commence once the transport task has been thoroughly defined and described, the first Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) will be introduced on a small scale. This will allow the organisation to become familiar with the technology, including the Traffic Management System, which is necessary to plan and manage the execution of transport tasks.
The initial analysis also revealed that the high-rise storage, where the cheeses are stored, was not being utilised optimally. For example, the cheeses were moved to the front zone of the warehouse every time they needed to be rotated. One of Langebæk’s recommendations was to integrate a ‘cheese turner’ within the high-rise storage itself. This solution would allow the cheese pallets to be turned inside the warehouse, thus avoiding unnecessary strain on the front zone.
The Results
The project has had a positive effect at Arla, which is now in discussions about further automation. For example, in addition to the high-rise storage, Arla has dedicated maturing rooms where the cheeses are rotated more frequently. A longer-term possibility—once the transport task is firmly established - is to use AGVs in the high-frequency maturing rooms as well.
