Never before has the world paid so much attention to Supply Chain (SC) technology. Yet, as the COVID-19 vaccination goes on, nations worldwide are experiencing difficulties such as manufacturing delays, inefficient Cold Chain storage conditions, along with location-specific delivery concerns.
The Pharmaceutical Logistics industry is becoming highly vulnerable in the face of several factors. First, we should consider that a third of all transported medications become injured before getting to the end consumer.
Safeguarding traceability in manufacturing
Product traceability has become essential in Logistics. Consumers are currently inclined to pay more for sustainable goods and insist on manufacturers making available traceability data. In addition, given the COVID vaccines time-expiration nature, forefront medical personnel demands to know the detailed manufacturing and conditions of every vaccine batch they accept.
The World Health Organisation and vaccine manufacturers have implemented a vaccine identification code, the parcel lot number, and the expiration date. Moreover, EU and USA packaging regulations demand that each box enclose a 2D barcode packaging that should afford Global Trade Identification Number data for the highest traceability; it is a reliable means of tracking a product origin.
A Blockchain-based traceability model could supply governments with up-to-date status of current vaccine batches at every SC level. End-to-end traceability supported by measurable data also improves communication across the SC by warning downstream partakers of likely delivery obstacles. As a result, vaccine carriers can respond earlier to supply demands whilst preventing delivery delays. Thanks to these advancements, the world can anticipate better efficiency in vaccine distribution.
Maintaining ideal storage conditions.
Long-distance Cold Chain Logistics solutions guarantee that vaccine batches are securely transported from producers to distributors. However, while Cold Chain technology is currently far more innovative than before the crisis, it is far from perfect.
COVID vaccine shipment represents a big challenge as the extremely low temperatures make most data loggers and sensors useless. Logistics businesses operate high-tech-monitoring systems like dry ice data loggers that function from refrigerator temperatures to a frigid -100 Celsius degrees. It is an impressive technology that is easy to use; it contains all condition-related information, such as temperature, shocks, and humidity.
Those with user access to the dashboard can even analyse that data right away in the smartphone’s web browser. In addition, the analytics platform provides users with historical and live condition-related information; businesses can figure out where weak spots in their SCs happen and work towards mitigating them.
Identifying and diminishing last-mile concerns
· Technological obstacles make delivery challenges.
· Most last-mile delivery procedures lack Cold Chain technology.
· The Cold Chain Logistics warrant that vaccine lots are shipped securely to their last-mile delivery centres
· The delivery to physicians and medical centres is evidencing lots of difficulties.
· One of the causes is the singularity of the transportation that the majority of vaccine demands.
· Some vaccine variant requires minus 70 to 80 Celsius degrees to maintain its effectiveness.
· The last Mile undergoes route-planning difficulties. It is hard to deliver small parcels to doctors whilst preserving maximum storage conditions; they have controlled time to ease storage problems.
· Vaccines are distributed covered in dry ice but are thaw out and carried in chilled boxes for final delivery.
· The vaccine batch has a shelf-life of only five days, after which it is useless.
· Monitoring of condition solutions plays crucial responsibility.
Sensors located in storage boxes identify temperature variations in real-time and warn partakers when levels are broken through. Data loggers can alert medical staff of likely violations and give them plenty of time to take remedial action to protect the vaccines from being inoculated into individuals before expiration.
Data are collected on analytics platforms for cloud-based apps and APIs to examine patterns and trends. Algorithms quickly detect continuous last-mile delivery or storage issues, and leaders can address any problems before they get uncontrollable.
The value of identifying these patterns is that last-mile delivery partners can pinpoint any constant location-specific obstacles demanding reinforcement. In addition, metrics that evaluate day-to-day planned loads against capacity allow last-mile co-workers to assess and increase their resource requirements and dodge delays.
CONCLUSIONS: As the world prepares to put the COVID pandemic behind, the analytics and technology role becomes increasingly demanded every day; we witness the greatest SC challenge. Thanks to the power of technology, we can overcome delivery issues and maintain efficient analytics to respond to them for a safer-healthier world for everyone.
Are you ready to put the COVID pandemic behind and take proper steps to benefit from technology?
Prophetic Technology
Subscribe to our emails & exclusive free content.
