Best Practices In Cold Chain Logistics Planning

By Dan Catizone, VP of Business Development, QuickSTAT

Planning is the key to successful and efficient Cold Chain Distribution. Yet even with careful planning, many companies still miss out on opportunities to save money, streamline processes and increase overall efficiency. This could be related to packaging, staying current with the latest technology for monitoring temperature or choosing an experienced transportation provider -- all of which can have a significant impact on efficiency.

The answer, of course, is taking more time to research and gain the knowledge necessary to determine just the right systems and protocols. Easier said than done for smaller operations. While large pharmaceutical organizations are more likely to have staff dedicated to investigating the safest and most cost effective packaging configurations, leaner businesses, where employees have a myriad of responsibilities simply may not have the resources. However, there are some basic guidelines that companies of all types and sizes can follow when considering their best Cold Chain Distribution packaging options. Plus, an experienced transportation partner can also help simplify processes greatly by sharing their best practices on packaging and temperature monitoring devices, as well as establishing standard operating procedures to minimize any risk of loss due to delays.