Multi-temp food distribution centre — Saudi Arabia
Major QSR & retail supplier consolidating five legacy warehouses into a single ASRS-equipped multi-temperature distribution centre.
Challenge
- Vision 2030 service-level targets across 1,800 SKUs.
- 45 °C ambient + Ramadan demand peaks.
- Energy cap from local utility post-2024 tariff reform.
ColdMatch solution
- CO₂ transcritical refrigeration with heat-recovery for offices.
- ASRS with frozen pick module and multi-temp pick-to-light.
- ColdMatch ran shortlist of 4 EPCs + 3 ASRS integrators.
How this project was delivered — planning to commissioning
Turnkey multi-temperature DC with retail-network integration. Total programme: 20 months, site selection to network go-live.
- 1
Planning & feasibility
Months 1–4- Network study: order profiles, store replenishment frequency and dock cycles.
- Zone sizing across ambient, chilled and frozen against forecast SKU growth.
- Land, power and cooling strategy assessed for high-ambient operation.
Milestone: Facility concept and capacity plan approved with expansion headroom.
- 2
Permitting & approvals
Months 4–8- Municipality building permit and industrial land-use approvals.
- Civil defence fire strategy for high-bay frozen storage.
- Food authority storage registration prepared in parallel with design.
Milestone: Building permit issued and food-authority pathway agreed.
- 3
Procurement & build-out
Months 8–16- Multi-temperature envelope, racking, dock levellers and airlocks installed.
- Refrigeration plant and controls integrated with the warehouse management system.
- Energy metering installed per zone for post-handover benchmarking.
Milestone: Practical completion with all temperature zones constructed.
- 4
Testing & validation
Months 16–19- Pull-down, door-cycle and dock-seal testing under peak summer ambient.
- Loaded temperature mapping per zone and cross-dock transition testing.
- WMS-to-refrigeration data integration verified end to end.
Milestone: Zones released for stock after mapping and integration sign-off.
- 5
Commissioning & handover
Months 19–20- Live pilot with a limited store cluster before full network cutover.
- Shift handbooks, alarm escalation and service contract activated.
- Energy and service-level baseline agreed for the first operating year.
Milestone: Distribution centre live across the retail network.
This project sits under the Develop a Distribution Center objective. Start from the objective hub to scope capacity, permitting and budget before engaging suppliers.
Project brief → RFQ package → supplier outreach → outcome
Every ColdMatch project follows the same managed sequence. Nothing reaches a supplier before David has reviewed the brief and confirmed the project scope, budget and timeline.
1. Project brief
- Submitted via
- RFQ builder — multi-temperature distribution centre
- Review
- Reviewed manually by David with an automation advisor
Clarified before outreach
- Consolidation plan for five legacy warehouses and the cut-over sequencing.
- SKU profile across 1,800 lines and required service levels.
- Utility energy cap under the post-2024 tariff structure.
Qualification checks
- Capex band US$ 20–28M with board approval already in place.
- Dedicated project office on the buyer side.
- Ramadan peak defined the design case, not the average day.
2. RFQ package issued
Split RFQ — building/refrigeration EPC and ASRS integrator tendered in parallel
Documents in the pack
- Zone schedule: ambient, +2 °C, −18 °C and −25 °C with pick-face requirements.
- Energy cap and heat-recovery expectations under the utility agreement.
- Automation performance brief: throughput, accuracy and WMS interfaces.
- Interface matrix defining responsibility between EPC and integrator.
Mandatory supplier returns
- Guaranteed energy per pallet stored, with measurement method.
- Automation throughput and accuracy guarantees with penalty regime.
- Interface responsibility acceptance, signed.
- Cut-over plan preserving service during consolidation.
3. Managed supplier outreach
- Approached
- 14 companies screened (EPC and automation)
- Shortlisted
- 4 EPCs and 3 ASRS integrators
- Round 1 — parallel screens
EPC and automation markets screened separately, with a shared interface matrix issued to both.
- Round 2 — combined technical review
Bidders reviewed together so interface gaps surfaced before award, not on site.
- Round 3 — energy guarantee
Final pricing tied to guaranteed energy per pallet under the utility cap.
Evaluation weighting
- Energy per pallet stored
- 30%
- Automation throughput & accuracy
- 25%
- Interface clarity and risk transfer
- 25%
- Price (normalised scope)
- 20%
4. Commercial outcome
CO₂ transcritical plant with heat recovery, paired with an ASRS frozen pick module
Delivered results
- −41% energy per pallet stored.
- 99.94% picking accuracy.
- −55% footprint versus the five legacy sites on a US$ 24M project.
Compare automation payback with the automation ROI calculator, then submit your brief.
Project records are anonymised at the buyer's request and presented as planning-grade benchmarks. Costs, timelines and performance figures are indicative and are not engineering designs or quotations.
Supplier and manufacturer listings are provided for research, transparency and discovery only. ColdMatch Group does not provide automatic buyer-supplier introductions. Every cold chain project request is reviewed manually by David / ColdMatch Group, and supplier introductions are made only after internal approval.