Aster Pharmacy faced the challenge of scaling its operations to meet increasing demand in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, as well as significant growth in its e-commerce operations.

“In three years, we are targeting to do around 20,000 e-commerce orders every single day,” explained Mr N.S. Balasubramanian, CEO at Aster Retail. “The key pillar and most important aspect to support this is of course the supply chain.”

Aster Pharmacy turned to Dematic for a highly automated, scalable solution that would optimize their fulfillment processes and accommodate their plans for future growth.

After conducting extensive due diligence and evaluating several solution providers, Aster Pharmacy chose Dematic to deploy a solution featuring an AutoStore™ system. The system automates manual picking processes, dramatically improving efficiency while maintaining the accuracy and speed required to support Aster’s growing operations.

“We provided a solution based on the business problem to be solved and the return on investment,” explains Mithun Perinchery, Head of Sales - Middle East, Türkiye, and Africa, Dematic. “The AutoStore system by Dematic can pick up to 1,000 order lines per hour for outbound and 100 order lines inbound. It stores pharma products in multi-SKU bins with a pick pointer for easy picking.”

The AutoStore system from Dematic consists of 17,250 storage bins, 33 robots, eight ports for picking, and four ports for inbound goods. This solution, the largest of its kind in the UAE, handles up to 3,000 order lines per hour.

“It was a process with a lot of due diligence and evaluation,” Krishna explains. “We needed to choose the right solution and the right partner capable of executing it. Dematic met our needs and exceeded our expectations.”

With pharmaceutical products stored in multi-SKU bins, Aster Pharmacy can facilitate faster and more efficient picking. The dense storage of the AutoStore system also provides efficient use of space, reducing the need for additional square footage even as order volumes increase.

Since implementing the AutoStore system from Dematic, Aster Pharmacy has seen significant improvements in fulfillment speed, accuracy, and overall efficiency. Aster Pharmacy is now handling more orders without needing to add warehouse space.

“Seventy percent of our volumes are now picked using our AutoStore system, which has dramatically increased our efficiency,” Krishna says. “The speed of fulfillment has improved, resulting in better service levels for our customers, while keeping costs low.”

As a result, Aster Pharmacy has been able to optimize its existing workforce. Instead of hiring additional staff to keep up with growing demand, they can now scale their operations without increasing labor costs.

“The increased storage efficiency meant that we needed less space to fulfill the same amount of business, and we were able to utilize our existing manpower while catering to our growing needs,” explains Krishna.

Aster’s long-term plans include further expansions within the UAE and into other GCC countries, as well as a significant e-commerce push. With the Dematic solution in place, Aster Pharmacy is well-positioned to handle an anticipated 20,000 e-commerce orders per day within the next three years.

Aster Pharmacy is optimistic about its future growth, particularly with the robust support of Dematic. The collaboration between the two companies has laid the foundation for continued success, as Aster Pharmacy looks to double its operational capacity and scale its reach across the region.

“For us, it’s all about creating a better environment for better health,” says Moopen. “We are excited about new solutions in healthcare that help us implement better care for our patients. The AutoStore system from Dematic has been a critical part of that journey, helping us deliver life-changing medications and services to our customers quickly and accurately.”

The partnership highlights the value of working with a solution provider that not only understands a company’s current needs but also has the vision and expertise to support its future ambitions.

“We have built a strong working relationship based on mutual trust. Dematic has been a fantastic partner, and we look forward to continuing this journey together,” Krishna concludes.