Technology and collaboration will be a game changer for end-to-end visibility: Pharma Logistics Summit 2017
Feb 04, 2017: The inaugural edition of Pharma Logistics Summit, held on February 2, 2017, in Mumbai, organised by Indian Transport & Logistics News (ITLN) provided an excellent platform for the shippers, airports and airlines to come together and discuss variety of subjects concerning the industry currently.
The last session for the day brought to the fore the most major concern of what can be done to achieve end-to-end visibility in pharma air cargo shipments.
The panelists for the session were Makarand Sane, General Manager, Export Logistics, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries; Aditya Parulkar, President, Penta Freight; Pramod Sant, Vice President, Head of Import/Export, Siemens; Babette Desfossez, Customs Attaché, Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium; Nathan De Valck, Cargo & Product Development Manager, Brussels Airport Company, Reinout Puissant, Cargo Business Development Manager, Brussels Airlines. The session was chaired by Johan Leunen, Cargo Marketing Manager, Brussels Airport Company.
The panel urged the need to improve collaboration between the players in the pharma supply chain.
On how collaboration between the shippers and stakeholders in the supply chain can be improved, Aditya Parulkar, Penta Freight, said, “Well firstly its communication. A lot to do with data exchange that is real time exchange of information. We get really late information. The problem that happens in transit are communicated to us when the shipment reaches the destination.”
Pramod Sant, Siemens, also believes communication is key. He said, “It becomes very important how each partner will build their communication channel and that depends on the volume handled by them.”
Presenting shippers’ point of view, Makarand Sane, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, said, “Sometimes, I believe too much data is not good. I don’t want to follow my shipment day and night. On an average, we clear 13-15 shipments per day and they are all temperature-sensitive and to track each and every shipment is a task. It should be available when I want it. When there is temperature excursion, there should be a red flag.”
Reinout Puissant, Brussels Airlines Cargo, said, “The purpose for us to be proactive is so that when there is red flag, we can become alert and alert you as well.”
According to the shippers on the panel, most of the problems in the temperature-sensitive commodity occur in the land, and not in the air. Pramod Sant, Siemens, added, “The reason for the most of the problems occurring in the land is lack of training or the warehouse where the material is offloaded.”
Babette Desfossez, Customs Attaché, Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium, informed that the reason that they don’t do a lot of checks with the goods is because the labour is expensive. Also, the mindset of the Belgium customs is that they want to be more customer friendly.
Talking about what will prove to be a game changer in the industry for end-to-end visibility, Nathan De Valck, Brussels Airport Company, concludes, “For me technology is an enabler, and what will make it happen is collaboration.”
Reinout Puissant, Brussels Airlines Cargo, believes transparency and adoption of technology will be a game changer for end-to-end visibility in pharma shipments.
Photo Caption: (L-R) Johan Leunen, Brussels Airport Company; Aditya Parulkar, Penta Freight; Makarand Sane, General Manager, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries; Pramod Sant, Siemens; Babette Desfossez, Customs Attaché, Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium; Nathan De Valck, Brussels Airport Company, Reinout Puissant, Brussels Airlines.
