Supply chain & logistics Eyes on the prize
The idea of an intelligent supply chain with end-to-end visibility has been talked about for years. But how much of this potential has been realised in the supply chain of the pharmaceutical
industry, a notoriously slow mover when it comes to adopting new technologies? Peter Littlejohns asks Karen Taylor, research director of the Centre for Health Solutions, Deloitte; and Emily May, life sciences insight lead, Centre for Health Solutions, Deloitte just how intelligent pharma supply chains are currently, and what’s stopping the industry from going for full adoption.
P
hrases like ‘end-to-end visibility’ and ‘intelligent automation’ are often met with nods and applause at pharmaceutical industry conferences. In the holy grail scenarios presented by speakers, visibility along each link of the supply chain is guaranteed, with data collected from the manufacturing floor to the moment a product leaves the delivery vehicle. The value of this level of supply chain visibility is easy to imagine; with eyes on every link in the chain, a company can better manage their inventory, forecast demand for products and minimise the risk of temperature
excursions – just to name a few benefits. But back in the real world, the suite of technology necessary to make that possible – sensors, devices, AI, data processing and a user interface – carry a cost, and that’s why the apparent support for these advances isn’t reflected in the level of investment necessary to achieve them. “There’s a nervousness about being a first mover in this space, spending lots of money and it not working,” says Karen Taylor, research director of the Centre for Health Solutions, Deloitte. “Pharma companies tend to be more conservative. Each
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World Pharmaceutical Frontiers /
www.worldpharmaceuticals.net
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