Data-driven solutions for new Shopee Xpress Thailand automated sortation centre

Blueprint for future sorting centre concepts

The Shopee Xpress Thailand team is managing the design and build of a new sorting centre that will contain a highly automated parcel sorting process. This project will serve as a blueprint for future sorting centre concepts within Shopee Xpress Thailand. An investment and project of this scale has multiple risks with significant business impact which the team looked to mitigate.

The Shopee Xpress Thailand team sought out a data-driven approach to validate and optimise the layout and engineering questions for the greenfield site. Furthermore, they sought a structured approach to evaluate various automation solutions and vendors, in order to select the right automation partner for a successful project.

Interdisciplinary approach combined with data-driven solutions

Royal HaskoningDHV brings many years of engineering, logistics, and operations experience to the projects of our clients, supported by a digital and data-driven approach to problem solving. A simulation model was used that mimics Shopee parcel arrival patterns and future automation processes, machine processes and parcel flows, to validate and optimise the layout of the centre. The interdisciplinary approach from our team supported the client project team in this critical project phase.

The support provided was organised into four workstreams:

1. Estblaish the baseline: risk & gap analysis to identify project scope and urgency
2. Site logistics flows: using simulation-driven insights to align requirements
3. Detailed validation: automation system, layout, & engineering advisory
4. Structured evaluation: criteria development, vendor management, & contracting advisory

An interdisciplinary Royal HaskoningDHV team delivered the project in an agile manner focusing on keeping the project on schedule for completion. The project included access to full engineering team resources from Royal HaskoningDHV Thailand, for specific technical and engineering questions.

Results

• Open design and future-state operations questions answered through combinations of material flow analytics and expert knowledge.
• Simulation model was used to validate vendor designs, evaluate manpower allocations, and answer “what-if” scenarios such as downtime and rejection rates.
• Vendor and procurement support were structured to provide comprehensive due diligence. Result was a clear path forward and organisational alignment on final vendor selection.
• Validation and insights from model used in blueprint for more future sorting centres