Fujitsu Limited, Logistics Knight Japan Co. (LKJ), and Isuzu Motors Limited, has announced that they will begin a joint pilot project to build a platform for integrated management of pharmaceuticals across the entire logistics network.
It will begin in early November and incorporate manufacturing sites to final delivery destinations such as pharmacies and hospitals.
The pilot project will focus on managing transportation quality and temperature control in pharmaceutical logistics.
Additionally, it will see the implementation of joint transport and pallet-unit transport simulations aimed at improving logistics efficiency.
Specifically, the project will address three themes:
- Visualisation of theoretical inventory values and transport/storage temperatures of pharmaceuticals throughout the entire logistics network in compliance with Japan’s Good Distribution Practice (GDP) guidelines for the proper distribution of pharmaceuticals
- Joint transportation to improve logistics efficiency
- Verification of the effectiveness of introducing palletised transport to streamline operations
The initiative aims to tackle some of the challenges currently faced by the logistics industry in Japan such as labour shortages and an aging workforce.
The partnership claims that this could lead to reduced transport capacity, increased transportation costs, and extended delivery lead times as well as unnecessary disposal of pharmaceutical products due to supply uncertainties, inventory imbalances, and strict temperature control issues.
Going forward, LKJ, Isuzu, and Fujitsu will accelerate their efforts toward realising a pharmaceutical logistics platform by enhancing data collaboration.
This will ensure quality across the entire logistics network, reduce inventory waste, and resolve inventory imbalances, thereby contributing to logistics efficiency and stable pharmaceutical supply.
The three companies will also collaborate with the Japanese government’s pharmaceutical working group.
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