Prescriptive Technology for Regulatory Track and Trace in Pharmaceutical Distribution

With pharma distribution, transparency is key and it must be met with precision as there is no room for error. Regulatory compliance is a must and it’s critical to ensure pharmaceutical products, medical devices, and even healthcare supplies are carefully tracked and recorded. The ability to scan and capture data on products, record batch and lot numbers and expiration dates throughout the warehouse from incoming goods to packout and delivery is non-negotiable. At GEBHARDT Intralogistics North America, we can work with pharmaceutical goods and ensure picking accuracy—even with large quantities down to the smaller units that go direct to consumer. Automation is crucial in today’s retail, wholesale, and even ecommerce when it comes to pharmaceuticals and healthcare. Appropriate packaging of the goods in transit, including the necessary labeling, is also vital. End-user customers and retail clients challenge manufacturers and wholesalers by sending in orders late but still demanding on-time delivery without having to keep large quantities in stock.

Warehousing and Order Picking Systems for Pharmaceuticals

When working within the pharma industry, there is a clear trend towards producing products in various packaging sizes. This compels manufacturers to expand their warehouses and design them to increase throughput. However, a wide variety of requirements must be considered. Criteria such as storage type, production characteristics like chilled or frozen, hazardous goods, or even seasonal peaks in orders. Plus, the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) Supply chain traceability must also be considered when automating a warehouse and picking systems within pharmaceutical operations. GEBHARDT Intralogistics has worked with various pharmaceutical manufacturers to implement automated solutions to meet specific criteria and to adhere to regulatory guidelines.

GEBHARDT Implements Automation while Centralizing the Intralogistics at Herbal Supplement Company Dr. Willmar Schwabe

The Dr. Willmar Schwabe company is considered a world leader in the research, development and production of herbal medicines and dietary supplements. The company was looking to future-proof its intralogitics for the future. To do that, GEBHARDT was commissioned as a general contractor for the intralgositcis, material handling technology, and IT software implementation. The main goal was to centralize the existing warehouse and distribution areas with new solutions for warehouse technology. The result was a new pallet high bay warehouse, small parts finished goods warehouse, the picking and packing for order fulfillment, and software that will take the company into the future for decades.

Maximum Transparency Through Real Time Monitoring of Intralogistics Processes

Process transparency is created by using the latest software technologies in conjunction with automation equipment. This combination always maintains an overview of the warehousing and performance of fulfillment distribution, which considers regulatory requirements such as batch tracking, lot numbers, etc. At the same time, this coupled technology increases process quality and the ability to achieve shorter lead times with virtually no error picks given that order accuracy is a necessity for any healthcare application. Order verification tools are put into place to handle any verification needed. This track and trace technology enables GEBHARDT to meet the requirements of our clients. Process verification is also captured. Environmental and special-handling conditions like temperature and humidity can be recorded to meet applicable hygiene and special requirements.

Dynamic Picking of Medical and Healthcare Products

The supply of medical devices, especially for professional use, must always be punctual and precise. The order quantities are becoming smaller yet, the delivery frequency is increasing. Given that medical professionals only want to store small quantities, it means that orders must be handled efficiently and in a timely manner. Plus, many times orders must be given special treatment to minimize logistics effort at the addressee. Furthermore, large production batches need storing and this balancing act can only be mastered with a high-performance intralogistics solution.

GEBHARDT Implements a Shuttle Warehouse at Hartmann

Hartmann is a leading international supplier of medical care and hygiene products and provides hospitals, care facilities, and specialized trade with high-tech healthcare products. To expand warehouse capacity, Hartmann tapped GEBHARDT to implement a highly dynamic shuttle warehouse with four picking workstations, automatic carboard box building, a connection to manual order picking, and seven dispatch workstations. The completed warehouse is controlled by GEBHARDT StoreWare software.

GEBHARDT Ensures a High Delivery and Handling Performance for Healthcare Products

The individual process steps inside the warehouse must be linked together in a logical order for the appropriate material flows. Automated storage and picking systems for healthcare products effectively access technology that protects and provides controls to prevent mishaps and enable security processes. Built-in technology also allows consignments for special delivery requirements such as appropriate labels, strapping, stretch film and the like. Healthcare logistics is a competitive environment with high price pressure, and with additional steps such as track and trace and order verification, automation is truly the only way to survive, especially with additional mandated regulatory requirements.

Distribution of Pharmaceutical Products Using 3PLs Providers

Meeting Third-Party Logistics Fulfillment Requirements

Given that both labor shortages in economically prosperous regions and the high demands on throughput for intralogistics, automation is sometimes the only option to meet fulfillment criteria. Many manufacturers therefore decide to outsource logistics to third party providers (3PLs) without reducing their stringent quality requirements. However, these manufacturers and logistics service providers will then utilize automation material handling technology along with software to meet the regulatory requirements and distribution demands. Typically, these 3PL companies are specialists for pharmaceutical, healthcare, and cosmetic products and understand the nuances and regulatory requirements that accompany these industries.

GEBHARDT Establishes a Fully Automated Distribution Center for karldischinger

GEBHARDT constructed a new logistics center for South Baden-based 3PL provider karldischinger GmbH with a total of 15,384 storage locations inside a high bay warehouse (HBW). This specific HBW utilizes over 448’ of installed pallet conveyors and six storage and retrieval machines. This distribution center is used for pharmaceutical logistics, and it has received a special certification along with an audit to qualify for those requirements.

GEBHARDT Ensures Both an Ergonomic and Secure Workplace by Implementing Automation

Automation provides employees a workplace where ergonomic design and functional safety collaborate. For decades, it’s been well documented that fulfillment and distribution centers that provide automation with ergonomic and safety features experience reduced absenteeism. Plus, these ergonomic features address the challenges of an ageing workforce population along with employees that may have skills shortages. Workplace ergonomics have a direct impact on the work results of employees due to the high-performance requirements. In overall terms, automation reduces the proportion of manual work in the warehouse. This is extremely evident in warehouses where complex order picking tasks such as the processing of recipes or picking for pharmaceutical medication require concentrated employees.

Automated Intralogistics for Production Keeps Medical Device Supplies at the Highest Level

Medical technology is high-tech. Therefore, the intralogistics must handle components with care and still supply production and service efficiently to meet demands. Serialization of components or specified dates require targeted management and control of special material flows. Integrated quality management processes are standard throughout, and that is what makes automation for medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, or even healthcare products a perfect fit. From ergonomic workplace concepts that facilitate work and support error-free work in production and logistics is also an added benefit. So, when it comes to healthcare, pharmaceuticals, or medical supplies, GEBHARDT understands the technology that is needed to ensure compliance in highly regulatory production processes.

GEBHARDT Facilitates a Successful Entry into an Automated Production Warehouse System for Ziehm Imaging

The medical technology company Ziehm Imaging moved its corporate headquarters to the EUROCOM business park. With this recent relocation, the company remains true to its innovative roots and tapped GEBHARDT Intralogistics Group for its ability to implement an automated production logistics system. The reorganization of the Ziehm intralogistics process from incoming goods to production and order picking all the way to outgoing goods was all realized by GEBHARDT Intralogistics. The video here depicts the process. It’s in German, but you can still get the feel for the system. You can also read more on the case study here by clicking on the button.

Automation Promotes Sustainability for the Healthcare Sector

With automation, you are also investing in sustainable resource conservation while at the same time you’re meeting high requirements for secure information, product integrity, economic efficiency, and tamper proof IT systems. Tamper-proof systems require consistent IT and control, which are documented and updated regularly. Automation logistics leads to a reduction in labor costs over many years of plant operation and enables high efficiency even in countries with higher labor costs. In addition, consumers are actively demanding goods from a sustainable supply chain. With GEBHARDT, we integrate sustainable automation into modern ERP systems along with other equipment that lowers energy costs and lowers the need for high-labor demands.