Chris Tozer, territory manager, UK, Ireland and Italy, Ivanti supply chain, looks at the complexities associated with the pharmaceutical supply chain and why legacy technology might be hindering efficiency.
Software Update
The warehouse is a fast-paced operation, constantly being challenged to meet rising productivity and accuracy standards. But arguably nowhere is this operation more complex than within the pharmaceutical supply chain, which has to transport often very delicate products from A to B, sometimes with many stops in the middle as well. In fact, many pharma products will have to move from a primary manufacturer, to a secondary manufacturer, to a warehouse, to a wholesaler and only then to a retailer, pharmacy or hospital. Furthermore, due to the potentially life-altering nature of the products being transported, there is no room for error.
The complexity of the pharma supply chain
The pharmaceutical supply chain transports a huge number of delicate and potentially life-saving medical products, often across numerous countries. From fragile contact lenses, to cancer medication and even syringes for vaccinations; cross contamination, mix-ups and breakages simply are not an option. Pharma supply chains also need to guard against crime such as theft and counterfeit drugs which can be incredibly challenging, particularly if a product is moving across many nations. For this very reason, multiple legal requirements have been put into place, such as the Drug Supply Chain Security Act enforced by the US FDA and the NHS Supply Chain Terms and Conditions. The UK Department of Health and Social Care has also set-up the Scan4Safety initiative which uses the power of barcodes to ensure that the NHS supply chain complies with global standards (particularly with PEPPOL for electronic communication during the procurement process and GS1 which helps produce identification keys such as barcodes and RFID tags for clear identification) and supports clinicians to provide error-free care.
Thus, in an accountable pharma supply chain, every movement of, or change to, a product should be documented, which can be done automatically through scanning a barcode, RFID tag or QR code. However, despite the critical importance of the accountability of this supply chain, many warehouses and wider supply chains still rely on mobile scanning and picking devices that run on legacy Windows operating systems (OS). This means that employees are working on devices with a green screen not dissimilar in look and feel to the iconic Nokia mobile phones from the past. So, why are we putting 21st century pharmaceuticals in the dated hands of 20th century technology?
Perfection can’t be undermined by legacy technology
Not only is this legacy technology dated, but it is also rapidly reaching End Of Life. For the last few decades, ruggedised mobile devices used at various points in the supply chain have relied on the Windows CE OS. However, the start of the countdown to End of Life (EOL) for Windows CE began on June 10th of this year when Windows CE 6.0 passed its End of Extended support date. And this is simply the beginning, with the Windows Embedded Handheld (WEH) 6.1 OS due to go EOL on the 9th June, 2019, followed by the WEH 6.5 OS on the 14th January, 2020 and finally the Windows Embedded Compact OS on the 13th of April, 2021. Old-fashioned technology aside, as these devices will no longer be supported with updates, this ultimately presents security and management risks that the pharma supply chain simply cannot ignore.
Android has emerged as the clear next generation OS for the supply chain. The majority of major rugged mobile device manufacturers now have Android-based portfolios, and some have even already officially stopped manufacturing devices that run on legacy operating systems. Furthermore, recent product introductions have proven that all vendor-specific technologies are also fully integrated with Android.
The next step is to migrate from Windows to Android which isn’t as simple as it sounds, particularly in complex supply chains like pharma that can’t afford downtime or slip-ups due to employees being uncertain about how to use new tech. Supply chain organisations can ensure a smooth migration by first migrating hardware, but retaining existing telnet or web applications which have the same user interface. Then, apps can be enhanced over time for a more modern look and feel so users evolve into using more up-to-date systems. Interfaces can also be enhanced so that they work similarly to employees’ personal mobile devices, which can speed up training exponentially. Once fully migrated, organisations can take their processes to the next level, for example by integrating speech software to increase worker efficiency. This can make a huge difference in certain environments, for example in freezers where certain medications have to be stored, where users can work far more efficiently hands-free.
The pharma supply chain is incredibly complex so every small step should be logged in order to prevent mistakes, loss, mix-ups and crime. With this in mind, the fact that many pharma supply chains are still relying on legacy and soon to be out-of-date software is incredibly troubling. Organisations should be upgrading to Android now in order to ensure efficiency and safety for this critically important supply chain.