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Close Al-Mujtama: warehouse automation for a pharmaceutical distributor
Al-Mujtama Alraida Medical Co. is a leading Saudi Arabia pharmacy chain and a national operator in pharmaceutical retail and healthcare services. The company operates in a highly regulated environment and is integrated with government healthcare initiatives, including Vision 2030 programs and e-prescription systems. This places strict requirements on SKU availability, traceability, inventory accuracy, and order fulfillment speed. The network serves 150+ pharmacies nationwide, approximately 800,000 customers, and processes around 158,000 shipments per month.
As a leading pharmaceutical distributor, Al-Mujtama Alraida Medical Co. is committed to processing every inbound order accurately, on time, and in full, even as volumes and service expectations continue to grow. To sustain this leadership position, the distributor focused on strengthening pharmaceutical supply chains, enhancing service quality, and elevating medication safety standards.
The project was delivered through close collaboration and synergy between Abdulrehman Algosaibi G.T.C., BD, KAPELOU Europe GmbH, and EDM-Software Solutions, combining domain expertise, technology, and integration know-how into a unified solution.
As part of the project, a clear set of automation objectives was jointly defined:
- improve overall warehouse efficiency and operational performance;
- reduce preparation and picking errors;
- prevent the dispensing of expired medications;
- enable accurate, real-time inventory monitoring;
- optimize and expand storage capacity.
The project in Saudi Arabia was delivered as a fully integrated warehouse and in-pharmacy automation solution. The partnership-driven approach enabled the creation of a single, consistent end-to-end logic for picking, storage, and dispensing – from order creation to medication delivery to the end patient.
Combined picking concept
At the core of the pharmaceutical warehouse automation case study is a hybrid picking model (robotic + semi-manual), tailored to different product types and demand profiles. The process starts in the WMS. Empty totes are automatically transported via conveyors to three picking zones, and a single order may include items from one, two, or all three zones:
- slow & medium movers – small-item pharmaceuticals with high SKU diversity are picked fully automatically inside BD Rowa™ robotic dispensers. The robotic picking head retrieves the required items and places them directly into the tote, eliminating manual search and reducing picking errors;
- fast movers – high-demand medications are handled via semi-automated picking. The operator scans the order barcode, the system guides item picking, and the tote automatically moves to the next zone;
- bulk picking – boxed and large-pack items are picked manually by operators in a dedicated bulk zone.
After completing all stages, the tote enters the verification area, where the full order is scanned and checked before being dispatched to the pharmacy.
Packing & flow optimization
The packing area is equipped with a three-level conveyor system, allowing a single operator to simultaneously:
- receive completed orders;
- pack orders into shipping cartons and send them to the dispatch area;
- dispatch empty totes to picking zones.
This marked a fundamental shift to a Goods-to-Person operating model, where inventory is automatically delivered to workstations instead of operators traveling through the warehouse.
As a result, material flows are fully controlled, predictable, and decoupled from human movement.
The pharmacy warehouse automation
The pharmaceutical distribution automation continues at the pharmacy level. Incoming packs are placed on the EasyLoad buffer belt and automatically stored in the BD Rowa™ pharmaceutical robot. The system automatically:
- sorts medications by barcode;
- stores them in internal robotic storage;
- records batch numbers and expiration dates.
When a patient arrives, the pharmacist enters the prescription into the system, and the robot automatically prepares and dispenses the medication directly from the correct slot, reducing service time and eliminating dispensing errors.
Equipment used for the warehouse automation area in Saudi Arabia:
- BD Rowa™ Vmax 160 robotic warehouse system for pharma logistics with EasyLoad buffer belt;
- KAPELOU automated conveyor system;
- Order control and packing workstations.
Results. Thanks to the partnership and coordinated teamwork, the project in Saudi Arabia delivered measurable operational impact:
- 50% increase in warehouse productivity, achieved through automated Goods-to-Person workflows and optimized material flows;
- 60% reduction in workforce requirements;
- prevention of dispensing expired medications;
- real-time inventory visibility;
- increased accuracy of order picking for pharmaceuticals;
- efficient use of pharmacy space.
For Al Mujtama, this pharma warehouse automation was the optimization initiative that marked a distributor’s transition to a new operating model – automated pharmacy distribution center. Here technology, people, and processes work in sync, from the automated pharmaceutical warehouse to the pharmacy counter.
Partnership acknowledgment
This project in Saudi Arabia was made possible through the close collaboration between the teams of Abdulrehman Algosaibi G.T.C., BD, KAPELOU Europe GmbH, and EDM-Software Solutions, with each party contributing critical expertise. The pharmaceutical distributor’s openness to change, deep understanding of its own operations, and willingness to invest in long-term efficiency were key success factors.
We sincerely thank the Al Mujtama distributor team and our partners for their professionalism, trust, and shared commitment to quality. It is through such collaboration that truly scalable and future-ready logistics solutions are built.
Great pharma logistics automation is built together. Let’s talk about how coordinated material flow can unlock the full value of your pharmaceutical warehouse automation.
