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 the ColdMatch project team 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 the ColdMatch project team 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 information is provided for research only; it is not a directory for direct contact. There is no direct buyer-to-supplier connection: every RFQ comes to the ColdMatch team, which validates it, contacts suitable suppliers on the buyer's behalf and presents organized responses through ColdMatch.