A logistics Control Tower can bring supply chain visibility to your operation, improving both planning and efficiency. For the healthcare vertical, higher performance levels can reflect upon the end patient’s welfare with late, damaged or compromised products having a significant impact, as we discussed in our previous blog.  However, maintaining control of your logistics can be difficult to manage - especially as your supply chain grows bringing additional stakeholders, procedures, routes and end destinations to an already complex and intricate process.  

What’s more, keeping your supply chain delivering value can be a challenge.  Often, new implementations will have an initial cost saving that over time diminishes with little or no incentives to maintain reductions and efficiencies.  So how can you keep a handle on your healthcare logistics?  And how can you prevent your logistics operation from going stagnant?

1. Choose a logistics partner with proven success in healthcare

Choosing a partner that understands your industry is paramount to the success of your logistics operation.  This is particularly true of healthcare with high product values, sensitive and strict environmental requirements, and, most importantly, an end patient waiting.  At Yusen Logistics, we focus on delivering industry leading performance levels through improved planning and visibility across European healthcare supply chains. 

“Yusen's Control Tower has given us better visibility of our shipments.  Allowing us to take more control of our stock”

 An emphasis on quality, reliability and value are at the cornerstone of our service.  That’s how we continue to deliver industry leading performance levels year after year.  Over the past 20 years, Yusen Logistics has invested significantly in developing specialist new services and resources in the global pharma, biotech and healthcare supply chain. That’s why we can bring you so much extra value, allowing your supply chain to deliver strategic competitive advantage rather than simply being an unavoidable operational cost.  Our Control Tower solution has evolved over the last 2 decades to now manage over 2 million pallets annually to more than 50,000 destinations across Europe.  Whilst our 99.5% on-time-in-full (OTIF) performance is a guarantee of our service delivery for the healthcare industry.

2. Always keep your operation moving forward

In any environment, those that stand still effectively move backwards.  It’s crucial to continue improving processes, procedures and practices.  That’s because, without constant analysing and adjusting, it’s easy for a logistics operation to fall into a state of complacency.  For our customers, it’s our culture of kaizen that keeps their operation delivering value.  A dedicated planning team continuously identify opportunities for consolidation and optimisation, whilst our transport team keep shipments to schedule across multiple regions, routes and carriers.  

“ Access to accurate and real-time data enables us to take informed strategic decisions about our freight movements.  By providing a single view point across multiple modes, regions and routes, we always know exactly where our shipment are”

Investments in VISIONi, Yusen Logistics’ pioneering track and trace system, provides accurate temperature control in real time.  This is supported by in-depth analysis with key trends, and areas for focus and improvements, highlighted - always with the aim of bringing the operation to the next level of excellence.  That’s how we continue to deliver industry leading performance levels, with 99.99% of cold chain shipments having no temperature deviations. By always striving to advance the operation, we continue to drive our customers’ supply chains forward. 

 3. Make sure your logistics model is sustainable

Sustainability is crucial to ensure the longevity of your operation.  Although short term fixes are often necessary to overcome immediate challenges, a longer term vision is essential to achieve a sustainable solution.  Consider the trends of the performance of your operation over a number of months and years.  Is your operation performing better over time, or worse?  And, most importantly, identify the causes behind this.  Reducing costs may not always result in a more efficient model if deliveries are being made late or, worse, failing to comply with GDP regulations. 

 At Yusen Logistics, we are focused on continually delivering value for our customers for the lifetime of their contract.  We are committed to finding opportunities for cost reduction that never compromise quality or product integrity.  We understand the importance of getting healthcare to end patients when they need it, in the condition that they’re relying on.  That’s why we always keep your customer at the forefront of everything we do. 

Want to find out more?  Contact insight@uk.yusen-logistics.com for further information.