Cold Chain Technologies (CCT) has reported significant efficiency and sustainability gains from a vaccine distribution program that helped a global manufacturer save approximately US$12 million, and also significantly improve cold chain performance.
Before working with CCT, the vaccine manufacturer had ongoing challenges across its distribution network. Product losses and compromised deliveries due to lack of real-time visibility and predictive capabilities, with a reship rate of 1.9%.
The firm was also reliant on single-use packaging, and transport routes were not being assessed for carbon efficiency in a systematic way.
To address these issues, CCT has developed an integrated thermal assurance program for packaging, monitoring, logistics and shipment management.
Real-time monitoring reduced shipment failures
The program is based on CCT’s Customer Assurance and Resource Excellence (C.A.R.E.) service, which integrates reusable EcoFlex shipping containers with the company’s digital platform for real-time monitoring, predictive analytics and shipment intelligence, MedAssure.
The journey of the EcoFlex containers was followed. Information from each individual shipment was combined with information from CCT’s larger network, creating stronger predictive models and identifying potential risks before they impacted deliveries.
Specialists from the CCT C.A.R.E. were on site, 24/7, allowing the team to be proactive in solving problems as they arose.
If needed, shipments could be expedited or routes intercepted to avoid possible disruption.
The results were deep. The manufacturer’s reship rate fell from 1.9% to 0.3% – an 84% reduction – with zero temperature excursions over 20,000 shipments.
Increased visibility also improved communication between the manufacturer and downstream partners including pharmacies, helping to build greater confidence in the distribution process.
Reusable packaging minimizes waste
The program also dealt with the environmental impact of pharmaceutical logistics.
Supported by the company’s CCT ReNew reverse logistics service, the manufacturer decided to use CCT’s reusable EcoFlex lease-and-return shipping containers rather than single-use packaging.
The effort kept more than 2 million pounds of stuff, or about 907,000 kg, out of landfills.
The program also improved sustainability in that CCT was able to make better transportation decisions to reduce carbon use associated with transportation.
Less loss means big money savings
For the vaccine maker, the combination of lower product losses, better decisions about freight, and more appropriate packaging, resulted in savings of some US$12 million.
“The results highlight the benefits of integrating physical cold chain equipment with digital monitoring and specialist operational support, rather than separating packaging and transportation as two different processes,” CCT reports.
“The program delivers results thru an integrated approach of reusable shipping equipment, real-time visibility, predictive analytics and continuous oversight by specialists,” said David Webber, Senior Global Marketing Manager, Cold Chain Technologies.
The project shows how more data driven operations of the cold chain can simultaneously protect temperature sensitive medicines, reduce waste, lower logistics costs and improve distribution reliability.
