South West Healthcare automates new warehouse with Dematic

Dematic is working in partnership with South West Healthcare to automate its new Regional Logistics Distribution Centre (RLDC) in Warrnambool. 

The new RLDC, which commenced construction in January 2023, is relocating from its original location at the Warrnambool Base Hospital campus to make way for the Victorian Government-funded Warrnambool Base Hospital redevelopment project. This will be at the existing hospital site, freeing up space for vital health services within a brand-new multi-storey clinical tower. 

The RLDC will provide goods, equipment, linen, and warehousing services to the Warrnambool Base Hospital and other regional public health services. 

South West Healthcare says: "We provide more than 150 medical, nursing, mental health, allied health and community health services to the 110,000 people who live across the South West of Victoria and in Warrnambool, one of the fastest-growing regional cities in Victoria."

"We are also the region's largest employer, with 1,996 people working for South West Healthcare across various locations."

"Our new RLDC will feature a fully equipped, purpose-built linen service and a fully automated centralised warehouse supporting our varied health services, providing clean linen and health service supplies to public health services in the region." 

"Replacing the existing, outdated facility will provide a safer and more contemporary work environment for the South West Healthcare Linen Services and Supply staff members," says South West Healthcare. 

The Dematic automated order fulfilment solution features an AutoStore goods-to-person (GTP) system that provides automation technology innovation with high flexibility for future growth. 

The Dematic solution requires a minimal footprint, needing up to 80% less space than an equivalent manual racking layout, which requires clear space for forklifts and personnel in aisles. Furthermore, AutoStore bins stack vertically and don't need clear aisles. 

Items required to fulfil orders arrive precisely when needed from the AutoStore storage system to the GTP workstations. Operators build orders at the ergonomically designed, high-rate workstations efficiently and safely. 

The system is highly configurable and scalable, with the option to add extra modular storage within the AutoStore grid to accommodate future product growth and storage demands. 

The Dematic solution will be integrated into South West Healthcare's host system with Dematic's warehouse control system software, providing complete system management and optimisation capabilities.

Terry Jamieson, Business Development Manager at Dematic, says: "Dematic integrates our own equipment with other vendor systems using our own expertise in software and controls, and our strong experience and knowledge in project and integration management."

"This allows us to tailor a wide range of innovative systems to customer-specific business and operational requirements to reduce risk, be cost-effective and create a successful outcome for organisations such as South West Healthcare."

"Additionally, with the largest service and support network in Australia for materials handling systems, we can ensure that South West Healthcare's investment is protected over time and that system up-time is significantly improved," says Terry Jamieson.

The new RLDC is due to be completed in late 2023.