German express operator trans-o-flex this week launched a new premium service for healthcarecustomers along with a new shipment monitoring system. The products were unveiled at the Expopharm
exhibition in Düsseldorf.The “ThermoControl” premium service has been mainly developed for pharmaceutical companiesenabling them to meet the stringent legal requirements made on the transportation and storage ofmedical products, while “Premium Delivery” will make it possible for large-volume recipients tooptimise their workflow in the receiving and processing of incoming goods, the company said in astatement.
“We have already been the first to develop a nation-wide logistic system using RFID and cannow offer innovative solutions and technologies that enable us to further upgrade our range ofservices”, said Thomas Mohorn, Director Sales & Marketing at trans-o-flex. “Today, the decisiveinnovations in logistics no longer focus on the optimisation of the physical act of transportationbut concern the data-relevant support and monitoring of the shipments. Here is where we want to setthe standard.”
trans-o-flex, which specialises in customised solutions mainly for pharmaceutical andhealthcare companies and other selected industries, is introducing “ThermoControl” in response tonew German regulations tightening requirements for the transportation and storage of pharmaceuticalgoods. This includes the need to monitor and document critical parameters, including ambienttemperature and air humidity.
All of the company’s cargo-handling terminals and vehicles have been provided with specific“ThermoControl” meters which measure and record temperatures of between – 35 and + 80° Celsius andrelative air humidity between 10 and 90 %. The “ThermoControl” service also uses alarm-protectedand sealed box trucks, while cargo handling terminals are under video surveillance and staff havebeen carefully selected and trained.
The separate new “Premium Delivery” service has been developed to improve the process ofdelivering and processing shipments at the recipient’s place. Already on the day before thedelivery, the recipients receive a notification including the details on all products to bedelivered by the dispatcher. After the handover, trans-o-flex checks whether or not the dataindicated by the dispatcher is consistent with the actually dispatched volumes and goods.
Prior to the delivery, trans-o-flex sends a notification of dispatch including all details ofthe actual volume and items of the shipment concerned. The goods will then be delivered within anagreed timeframe with a maximum difference of plus/minus 30 minutes. The recipient can even assignthe envisaged shipments his own order numbers and integrate them in his workflow systems. Thus, heis able to optimise his staff employment planning, directly single out urgently needed goods,increase his ability to inform customers and accelerate the further processing of the goods.
“Against the background of the continuing cost pressure in the healthcare industry, ourPremium Delivery service aims at reducing the workload for the wholesale pharmaceutical sector aswell as the pharmacies in the hospitals”, commented Mohorn. “It will help to further reduceinventories, increase the turnover rate and make processes easier, more transparent and morereliable”.
