Great opportunities in the market of refrigerated goods

The logistic market of refrigerated goods is in turmoil. Both local and international enterprises see market gaps waiting to be filled. According to Szabolcs Czifrik from Liegl & Dachser Kft., many suppliers of refrigerated products perform logistic services themselves, but demand for logistic service providers is growing, because employing such enterprises can lead to an improvement in efficiency. They have been present in the Hungarian market since 1999, opening the Dachser Food Logistics warehouse in the Westlog DC industrial park last year. Great potential is also seen in the Hungarian market by Sofrilog who has entered the market recently under the name Coldstream Hungary. They believe that changes in consumer habits will open up many opportunities for logistic services in the field of refrigerated goods. Good organisation and control of the logistic chain is extremely important in the case of refrigerated goods. Over one quarter of the warehousing capacity of Dachser Food Logistics is occupied by 42 products of Zott Hungária Kereskedelmi Kft. All warehousing processes are controlled by a software developed by Dachser and based on the FEFO principle. The Dachser warehouse is also linked to their entire European network. Movement of goods is monitored using a bar code system and the warehousing processes are completely paper-free. The temperature in warehouses and transport vehicles is monitored online. Cost efficient operation of refrigerated logistics is a key issue for retail chains. Fresh and frozen goods require different temperatures. While fresh products require 0-14 C to be maintained during transportation, the temperature of frozen goods has to be kept below –18 C. The Siber System container which allows different goods to be transported at different temperatures has been developed jointly by Messer and Olivo Cold Logistics. Containers cooled using dry ice remain inside the refrigerated warehouse until they are filled up. Upon delivery, containers are removed from the transport vehicle and returned later which guarantees that the refrigeration chains is not interrupted. The increasing use of RFID technology is one of the main current trends. RFID chips are ideal for use with refrigerated goods because their “history” is of crucial importance. RFID technology is already in use by Sofrilog and Dachser. Experiments with voice controlled order picking are being conducted by DHL with their partner CSB Hungary Kft. – We have already completed the first half of the pilot project – says Péter Tohai, IT director of DHL Supply Chain. This system allows both hands to remain free during use and makes unprecedented accuracy (99 %) possible. It is also easier to use at –28 C than other systems. Reliability is the single most important factor in the market of refrigerated goods, but cost efficiency and flexibility are also crucial. Clients prefer service providers who can offer personalised solutions apart from standard services and make fast decisions.