Cold Chain Technology – Cold Chain Shipments – Part 2

This is part two in our cold chain technology series of articles compiled by Cold Chain IQ and Eelco de Jong. We know it is essential that businesses keep up to date with all technological advancements in their industry and therefore we bring you expert guidance on the things that matter most. For further details please see part one of this series, and please join Cold Chain IQ to ensure our latest content hits your inbox regularly.

It’s time that our valuable cold chain shipments start talking with us in real-time. Shipments should keep us informed about their condition and location, and immediately warn us when something is about to go wrong. This can help to address the most critical challenges faced by pharmaceutical manufacturers. In-transit visibility and pro-active intervention can immediately improve process quality and process efficiency. In a next phase it may result in further supply chain optimization, with lower inventory levels, shorter lead time and more flexible supply chains.

Some early adopters are showing that the business value of his approach is real. Panalpina Air & Ocean, the internal service providers within global freight forwarder Panalpina, has been using wireless sensors to monitor pharmaceutical shipments since 2010. This implementation has been driven by a vision for pro-active intervention and management by exception principles. The initial implementation has already resulted in major improvements in process quality and customer service.

In part three of this series concerning cold chain technology, Eelco takes us through the factors he believes most slows down innovation. For other information, please see our webinars, whitepapers and also check out our upcoming conferences to see how your business could develop in association with Cold Chain IQ.