CARGOCONNECT-JANUARY2025 - Flipbook - Page 76
SPECIAL FEATURE : PHARMA SUPPLY CHAIN
DINESH PAWAR
Head of Warehouse and EXIM Operations,
Sandoz
In the pharmaceutical and biotechnology
industries, end-to-end data traceability
is a crucial supply chain strategy. This
involves leveraging AI and big data
to analyse the entire supply chain for
enhanced visibility. Digital tools and automation improve efficiency,
compliance, and product integrity. Real-time data visibility ensures
transparency in the flow of materials and information. Despite this, the
industry faces challenges such as infrastructure limitations, regulatory
requirements, and disruptions that impact supply chain operations.
However, by leveraging AI and big data analytics, companies enhance
visibility and decision-making, building robust, adaptable frameworks
to meet industry demands efficiently.
which is crucial for making informed decisions at
scale,” he remarks.
Building on this, Vashisht emphasises that these
innovations don’t just impact internal processes; they
also help ensure external factors, such as global trade
compliance and regulatory changes, are more efficiently managed. “With the current wave of geopolitical
uncertainty, cloud platforms and digital transformation
allow businesses to adjust in real-time to new regulatory constraints without losing sight of e昀케ciency and
customer demand,” he annotates.
Building Agility for a Dynamic
Supply Chain
As disruptions continue to challenge global supply
chains, companies have learned the importance of
embracing agility. Vashisht highlights the signi昀椀cance
of an agile operating model in adapting to rapidly
changing operational requirements and potential
disruptions. He shares, “At Safexpress, we have built
an agile operating model that enables us to swiftly
adapt to rapidly changing operational requirements and
potential disruptions. The company’s heavy investment
in technology ultimately fosters such a level of agility.”
Further, he notes, “Route optimisation, real-time
data analytics, and IoT-based tracking provide us with
the 昀氀exibility to make quick adjustments in the supply
chain.” He also emphasises the importance of adopting
the multimodal approach, stating, “We utilise road and
air transport, which gives us the 昀氀exibility to switch
between di昀昀erent transport modes based on customer
needs or operational challenges. This ensures the
continuous movement of goods even when one modality
faces delays or restrictions.”
Vashisht went on to highlight the company’s commitment to resilience and sustainability, mentioning
76 | CARGOCONNECT JANUARY 2025
their sustainability initiatives, including the adoption of
electric trucks and eco-friendly logistics practices, which
further reinforces their ability to operate e昀昀ectively
while contributing to a greener future.
Mehta stresses how the pandemic crisis reshaped
the company’s procurement strategy. “The pandemic
reinforced the importance of agility, especially during sudden surges in demand for long-lead items,”
he remarks, and highlights the added complexity
of stricter regulatory requirements and extended
timelines for implementing changes. “Through cohesive
team e昀昀orts, inter-departmental coordination, and
senior leadership guidance, we have significantly
improved our ability to adapt and thrive under such
circumstances,” he adds.
Spotlighting the ongoing challenges industry supply
chains in particular continue to face in the aftermath
of the pandemic, Bhatia states, “In today’s VUCA world,
new challenges emerge regularly, whether it’s the
Russia-Ukraine war, the Red Sea Crisis, or regional
conflicts.” To this end, he highlights the concept of
provocative systems within supply chains, explaining
that these systems do not merely react to disruptions
but proactively anticipate and prepare for them.
“Provocative systems are forward-thinking, strategically disruptive, and designed for agility, driven by
technologies such as IoT, AI, and digital twins,” Bhatia
elaborates. He also underscores the importance of
customer-centric innovation and sustainability, noting
that provocative systems push the boundaries to meet
evolving customer needs, advocate for regenerative
practices, and engage collaboratively with partners to
solve systemic challenges.
Asthana equally emphasises the importance of
agility in logistics. “Our operating model is designed
for 昀氀exibility. We’ve implemented real-time visibility
technologies, optimised inventory management, and
adopted a modular approach to our logistics network,”
he explains and adds, that these strategies allow JWL
Cold Store to adapt quickly to disruptions and changing
demand patterns, ensuring business continuity.
Expanding Capabilities For
tomorrow
In the competitive landscape of supply chain management,
innovation and partnerships have become fundamental
to maintaining a competitive edge. Within this scope,
Mehta discusses how Reliance Retail has embraced
innovation to streamline operations and better serve
its consumers. He points out that expanding services
through key collaborations with technology providers
has not only enhanced their digital infrastructure but
also positioned them to e昀케ciently manage a diverse
customer base.
Vashisht emphasises the strategic advantages of these
alliances, noting, “Collaborations can drive innovation at
each stage of the supply chain, be it through integrating
new technologies or combining expertise for optimising
supply routes.” He argues that partnerships—whether
with tech companies or logistics 昀椀rms—lead to better
solutions for balancing cost, e昀케ciency, and quality, which
are key to sustainability in supply chain operations.
