Singapore’s Pan-United Corporation has made a major leap forward in its transformation journey to become a technology company in the ready-mix concrete (RMC) and logistics space. Its technology subsidiary, AiR Digital Solutions, is revolutionising operations and accelerating decarbonisation for RMC producers, logistics companies and operations with complex logistics needs.
To date, its AI-powered end-to-end operations management system has successfully built digital intelligence systems for over 20 like-minded companies spanning Southeast Asia, North Asia and Australasia. The customer portfolio includes New Zealand-based independent RMC producer Bridgeman Concrete, Malaysian quarry company East Rock and Singapore-based concrete product manufacturer Eastern Continent Construction.
AiR Digital is a proprietary, configurable intelligent solution designed in-house that uses machine learning and AI to enable data-driven, automated decision-making for end-to-end operations. Delivery schedules, resource allocation, order and fleet deployment, and more, are optimised in real time to deliver tangible outcomes for users. Proven benefits include achieving up to 45% manpower savings, higher productivity from 20% improved fleet utilisation and reallocation of staff to enhance customer support.
‘Truly transformative’
Pan-United first began developing AiR Digital in 2014 by optimising step-by-step every aspect of Pan-United’s end-to-end RMC operations. Over the years, the domain solution has undergone numerous upgrades to address wider industry gaps. Beyond optimising processes within Pan-United, AiR Digital is actively engaging with other like-minded companies to advocate for decarbonisation advantages.
“Adopting AiR Digital has been truly transformative for our business. It has helped to digitalise our operations by replacing traditional, manual paper-based processes with an AI-powered system that improves efficiency and delivers real-time insights,” said Patrick Bridgeman, managing director of Bridgeman Concrete.
“The true value of AiR Digital goes beyond optimising our operations,” he pointed out. “We now have reliable data and use AI to strengthen internal controls, automate optimal decisions and free up time to focus on strategies to grow our business. Today, we run our operations with a minimal learning curve – even with staff who have no prior experience in the concrete industry. With AiR Digital as our technology partner, we have the confidence that our operations are future-ready and adaptable to industry shifts.”
“AiR Digital began as an in-house initiative to optimise Pan-United’s end-to-end RMC operations using the latest technologies,” explained Ken Loh, CEO of Pan-United. “We have since been reaping the rewards of automation, AI and data-driven decision-making. Our vision is to share our technology and learnings with other like-minded companies. In so doing, we can learn from each other and expand our impact.”
Mr Loh noted, “AiR Digital is a game-changer with the potential to not only transform traditional sectors, but also benefit industries with highly complex logistics operations. RMC has a very tight, fast- setting time of barely two hours. Delivering massive volumes of concrete for mega projects requires tremendous coordination and extreme precision.
“AiR Digital harnesses over a decade of accumulated knowledge and know-how, and can be deployed across international borders. The solution can be integrated seamlessly with third-party systems and configured to suit the specific needs of businesses.”
“We are incredibly excited to see how this homegrown solution is gaining traction and driving change in companies across the world. Looking ahead, we will continue to evolve with technological and industry shifts, consistently upgrading and commercialising our solutions to meet the growing demand for smarter, more sustainable operations,” concluded Mr Loh.
Image: Pan-United
