Sato eyeing top auto-ID spot in Thailand 

 
 Sato operates in Thailand as Sato Auto-ID (Thailand) Co Ltd. By integrating technologies from RFID to visual recognition and robotics, it seeks to support the food and healthcare industries as Thailand moves towards becoming the “kitchen of the world” and the “region’s medical hub”. Today, SATO Auto-ID’s market share in Thailand is 14 per cent.
 Sato Auto-ID (Thailand) general manager Daisuke Tatsuta said that speed and accuracy are keys to increase business competitiveness in today’s world and especially for Thailand as it transforms itself to become an advanced economy driven by high technology and creativity. “With our strong know-how and established presence in Thailand as well as end-to-end Auto-ID solutions, Sato is well positioned to help companies make the transition to the new Thailand 4.0 economic model, streamlining the movement of assets with speed and precision,” he said.
 A leading food safety solution provider, Sato said it supports food manufacturers and restaurants by developing solutions that integrate labels, barcode, printers, scanners, software and aftersales support to allow companies to quickly track products and control quality to ensure food safety. In 2015, the company said it achieved Bt475 million in sales and the second highest market share among direct distributing auto-ID companies. 
Considering the rate of Thai economic development and the company’s strategic focus on food and healthcare, the company aims to be the No 1 auto-ID solution provider by 2018 with sales of Bt745 million. By 2020, Sato plans to grow by a further 50 per cent.
 In its 15 years in Thailand, Sato has supported leading automotive clients such as Toyota, Nissan, and Isuzu. It said it supports the manufacturing sector with efficient stock control systems, shipping labels, labels for hazardous materials, inventory-control and scheduling systems for just-in-time manufacturing to control the supply chain. 
It plans to grow its presence in the burgeoning food, beverage, and medical industries, utilising know-how from success cases with clients such as CPF, Ajinomoto, Nestle, Hoya, Thai Red Cross, Samitvej, Bumrungrad Hospital and Nipro. This represents a fraction of its 1,500 customers, the company added.
 Sato is confident in the Thai economy, viewing it as a mature market that is ready for this technology. The manufacturing, food, and healthcare industries can derive the most value from Sato solutions.