Supply chains have been put to the test for a multitude of reasons in 2024. MHD analyses how Körber Supply Chain Software’s innovative solutions and organisation expansion has helped companies grow and thrive.
In a move that reshapes the supply chain software landscape, Körber announced its acquisition of MercuryGate International Inc. in August 2024.
The acquisition expanded Körber’s capabilities by adding a transportation management system – TMS to the suite of solutions offered, strengthening its position as a supply chain execution solution provider.
Bringing Körber and MercuryGate together enabled customers to benefit from solutions that connect across inbound and outbound supply chain activities, improving cost efficiencies and customer experiences by optimising placement, usage and routing of goods.
Customers could now access a supply chain platform that had visibility across inventory pools, simulation capabilities and more tools to understand ROI across their local and global business.
MercuryGate’s expertise in multimodal optimisation allows Körber customers to manage goods movement from procurement to final delivery.
This acquisition shakes up the supply chain landscape, promising enhanced cost efficiencies, improved visibility, and sophisticated simulation capabilities for evaluating future strategies.
Innovation through new solutions
Committed to continual improvement to warehouse innovation, Körber launched new solutions in 2024 to address critical productivity and workflow challenges in modern warehouses across Australia and New Zealand.
Gamification and Slotting.IQ were developed based on growing market demand to address worker productivity and efficiency.
Gamification tackles worker engagement by leveraging the fact that 82 per cent of workers are motivated by recognition, introducing healthy competition and team collaboration. Slotting.IQ revolutionises inventory management with dynamic algorithms that optimise placement and improve picking efficiency.
“Körber’s Slotting.IQ was developed to give warehouse managers a slotting solution that can handle large, complex, frequently changing product assortments,” says Darren O’Connor, Director of Solution Delivery at Körber Supply Chain Software.
“The technology leverages a rich set of customer data, including item master information, warehouse layouts, and historical pick paths, and applies sophisticated data science techniques and projected future demand to determine the optimal storage locations for each SKU.”
Strategic leadership appointments
This year also marked a time of leadership enhancement for Körber. The company welcomed Edward Auriemma as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), bringing experience from his work at Blue Yonder and Alight Solutions.
CEO at Körber Supply Chain Software.
Two key executive appointments followed: Tim Moylan as the company’s first Chief Commercial Officer and Beth Hendriks as Chief Technology Officer, joining from the MercuryGate acquisition, both bringing decades of expertise to drive innovation and growth.
“We are delivering resilient operations with enhanced visibility and control that will help our customers innovate to drive growth in their businesses,” says Edward Auriemma, CEO at Körber Supply Chain Software.
“With the addition of Beth and Tim, we can boost our commitment to helping our customers navigate the complexities of modern supply chains with confidence and grow as our customers grow.”
Customer success spotlight
Despite the many changes in how supply chains function, the customer remains at the centre of any innovation. In 2024, like any other year, Körber set out to leverage its technology and people for the sake of the customer and succeeded.
Over two insight-filled days in May, attendees arrived at Sydney’s Hilton Hotel to hear from Körber’s leadership team, partners and customers at its flagship event, Elevate APAC.
Hastings Deering’s WMS journey
At Elevate APAC, Körber customer Hastings Deering, an equipment supplier and one of the top five Cat dealers in the world, presented a case study on its Warehouse Management System – WMS journey.
Mark Danckwerts, Manager of Program Development at Hastings Deering, shared the dealer’s journey in implementing Körber’s WMS in distribution centres around Queensland. In working with Körber to deploy a new WMS, Danckwerts discussed the key benefits, which included improved planning, efficiency, order management and inventory management, as well as the avoidance of large-scale WMS failure risk.
Catch’s transformative fulfilment centre on show
Another example of Körber’s impact was displayed in October, when Catch.com.au opened the doors to its Moorebank Fulfilment Centre to external supply chain leaders.
The 37,000 sqm fulfilment centre showcases one of Australia’s largest deployments of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), featuring 342 AMRs, three automated packaging machines processing more than 800 parcels per hour each, and 5700 racks with 92,000 pick faces.
“The Catch.com.au Moorebank facility demonstrates the transformative power of advanced automation in supply chain operations,” says Anthony Beavis, Managing Director ANZ at Körber Supply Chain Software.
“It showcases how businesses can effectively meet the escalating demands of modern consumers through technological innovation.”
The facility, housing 917,000 units and 27,512 individual SKUs across the Catch and Kmart ranges, exemplifies how Körber’s solutions enable businesses to scale and adapt to growing consumer demands.
AMRs will continue to be a game-changer for retailers, especially for high-throughput operations.
Unlike traditional fixed automation with long ROI periods, AMRs offer flexibility and scalability, allowing businesses such as Catch to adjust to changing demands more easily. This adaptability is particularly valuable in the current economic climate, where long-term forecasts aren’t always reliable, and retailers are increasingly required to scale up and down.
The industry has also recognised Körber’s work with Catch. The project was recently announced as a finalist for the Supply Chain Management award at the upcoming Australia Supply Chain and Logistics Awards night.
Primary Connect and Körber shoring up the frozen food supply chain
Körber has been recognised as a finalist twice in the Supply Chain Management award category – this time for helping Primary Connect use its software and data analytics to prevent frozen food supply shortages.
With Körber’s E3PL Warehouse Management System – WMS and the Woolworths Data Platform, Primary Connect quickly took control of warehousing operations and stabilised supply chains amid disruptions from the voluntary administration of trucking giant Scott’s Refrigerated Logistics.
Within three weeks of starting the project, Körber’s WMS enabled Primary Connect to manage new warehousing sites effectively.
Advancements in WMS are now essential for tracking stock availability and managing potential transit disruptions.
Primary Connect’s success in preventing $500 million worth of frozen food from going to waste highlights the critical role that enhanced insight and visibility play in handling unexpected issues that can upend even the best-laid plans.
What’s important in 2025?
Today’s industry leaders don’t view an efficient supply chain as just a logistical necessity – it’s a strategic advantage for organisations under financial pressure. Investing in the right technology as business demands evolve requires both global and local trusted supply chain partners who understand the transformation journey.
In the post-pandemic era, most companies have developed a more nuanced understanding of their stock levels and inventory management. The focus has shifted from simply having stock to knowing exactly where that stock is at any given moment.
The issues that plagued many retailers during the pandemic have eased, but far from subsided, with insufficient stock or excess inventory that arrived too late to meet demand still a challenge within the industry.
Körber’s acquisition of MercuryGate now creates a unified supply chain execution suite that can offer real-time optimisation and collaboration across the supply chain. Customers will benefit from integrated processes across functions, faster and more accurate decision-making and the ability to mitigate risks and disruptions more effectively.
As the supply chain industry continues to change, leaders will ultimately remain focused on one goal: improved customer service. Success in 2025 will be defined by organisations that can forge strong partnerships and collaborations, make data-driven decisions, and create resilient networks that deliver enhanced visibility, agility, and operational excellence across the entire supply chain ecosystem.
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