In an effort to manage and anticipate risks to Singapore’s food supply, SATS Group, through its subsidiary Country Foods, has developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled end-to-end command centre dubbed the “Control Tower” following 18 months of intensive trials.
The centre was co-developed with the help of Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), the US-headquartered Everstream Analytics and Singapore-based startup TRAMÉS to fulfil SATS’ operational requirements to manage global logistics.
Located at Country Foods’ headquarters at the International Business Park in Jurong, Singapore, the Control Tower presents information at three levels; the business intelligence function, updates of the supply chain situation and through the last mile tracking function.
Through the use of AI to fuse volumes of data in near-real time, the business intelligence function improves SATS’ situational awareness of supply chain risks, market trends and issues to watch out for.
Meanwhile, supply chain situation updates help SATS keep tabs on aircraft and vessel movements, shipping containers and trucks carrying consignments to its warehouses or to customers. A map of the world shows the active status and location of every shipping container with products ordered by SATS.
This replaces the old tracking method which took more than 1,000 emails over a span of a month to update container movements from point of origin in South America to the delivery destination in Singapore.
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Finally, the last-mile tracking function expedits deliveries by helping SATS logisticians and drivers plan routes to maximise operational efficiency and safety. This function also helps drivers re-route their schedules to avoid traffic congestion for more timely deliveries. Customers can also check their latest delivery status via an AI-enabled Chatbot.
Country Foods operates a protein processing and distribution business, sourcing food supplies from more than 20 countries, including Australia, Brazil and Thailand, interfacing with close to 200 supply chain facilities worldwide that are supplied by some 4,000 farms.
Already, the group says that the Control Tower has assisted with responding to extreme weather and disease outbreaks in Brazil, as well as port congestion in Thailand, enabling the company to adjust sourcing plans, reroute shipments and maintain business continuity.
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Terry Tan, Country Foods chief executive officer and senior vice president of integrated supply chain at SATS Food Solutions says: “The control tower allows us to see disruptions earlier, understand their implications faster, and act before they escalate into supply problems. This strengthens safety, efficiency and resilience across our operations.”
Kerry Mok, SATS president and CEO, adds: “This facility serves as a showcase for how AI can be applied in other SATS business activities, such as air cargo operations, at command centres across our global network. SATS will continue to leverage AI for greater real-time insights and operational control to enhance safety, market responsiveness and customer service.”
Shares in SATS closed six cents lower at $3.73 on Feb 2.
