Cool chain communication breakdown

THE risk of temperature excursions during the transportation of pharmaceutical products can be markedly reduced, if supply chain members share more information, a conference heard. 
A growing need for greater collaboration, the inability of some carriers to participate in the flow of information from forwarders, as well as some forwarders’ lack of transparency regarding pricing, are among the issues hotly debated at the Pharma Shippers’ Forum, which took place at Air Cargo India 2014, in Mumbai.
Moderator Enno Osinga, senior vice-president of cargo at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, told 100 delegates: “The message from all parts of the chain is clear. We need to provide a platform that allows the sharing of information to protect the integrity of each shipment. 
“It will not be easy to achieve the solution, but there is no point in continuing to identify the problems if we are not prepared to address and solve them.” 
At least 40 leading pharma shippers, together with representatives of logistics service-providers, cargo handlers, airports, airlines and regulators also discussed many of the concerns facing India’s multi-billion dollar pharma and healthcare industry.
Osinga added: “Pharma traffic is a huge opportunity for airfreight, but we must get it right.”