Life Sciences Overview
The global life sciences industry has faced an increasingly varied set of business challenges in the recent decade. Among the major influences has been the global pharmaceutical supply chain filled with organizations of very diverse size, business operation, industry focus, and geographical location. Multinational pharmaceutical companies, outsourced contract organizations, distributorships, pharmacy chains, hospitals/clinics and multiple government agencies all play key roles in the preparation and dispensation of pharmaceutical medicines.
Growing Business Pressures
Recent economic and technology changes have caused companies to completely rethink how they view and manage areas of their business such as the global supply network. Specific trends that have been causing close examination of basic business operation include:
- Growth in the average cost to develop and launch a new drug
- Increase in the number of new drugs and product SKUs brought to market as the focus on “blockbuster” drugs is replaced by one of targeted therapies and product line extensions
- Pressure on margins due to an emphasis on reducing prescription drug cost
- Explosion in generic equivalents for branded drugs
- Increased outsourcing of basic logistical functions including drug manufacture, packaging, and finished goods distribution
- Influence of demand-driven planning and replenishment strategies on existing supply chain operational practices
- Increase in technology spend due to the emergence of global serialization programs and related technological investments in areas such as RFID
The result of these diverse trends are an increase in business complexity, a rise in planning uncertainty matched with an increase in business risk if the wrong bets are made, and a need to squeeze operational efficiency from every corner of the business. The question is where to start? Areas that leading analysts such as AMR Research suggest that companies pursue include:
- Determine which business operations can be improved with the availability of rich serialized product information
- Break down barriers between operational units such as supply chain operations, sales management, and trade relations to leverage the operational knowledge created by technological investments such as global serialization programs
- Improve the ability to jointly collaborate on business processes with trading partners
- Enhance trade network visibility, both of the activities of downstream and upstream trading partners and in the product and information flows between network participants, to improve decision-making
How SupplyScape Can Help
SupplyScape provides our customers with an integrated mix of software products and services that turn fundamental technology investments such as serialization, electronic pedigree, and supply chain integration into programs that deliver tangible financial and operational value throughout a business.
Strategy Consulting and Planning
SupplyScape’s Strategic Consulting services are designed to help companies maximize business opportunity and reduce compliance risk as they begin to leverage an integrated, collaborative trading partner network built on global serialization, serialized product pedigree, EPCIS connectivity, and other interoperability initiatives. Our consultants work closely with senior executives to analyze current business operations, determine where investments in global serialization and track and trace programs can improve financial performance or reduce business risk, then design an actionable blueprint for implementing the appropriate solutions.
Global Supply Chain Collaboration
SupplyScape’s Nexus provides a network-based data sharing and business collaboration foundation of serialization and pedigree information, shared services, and operational event management. Nexus links companies to their trading partners and users to their business operations, enhancing the ability to act upon rich serialization and pedigree data while collaboratively executing on shared business processes.
Serialization and Serialized Product Pedigree Solutions
SupplyScape’s Product Security suite delivers an integrated track and trace foundation for companies at all points in the supply chain from manufacture and packaging to dispensation.
- E-Pedigree – E-Pedigree provides an integrated pedigree data management system for serialized and non-serialized products. Serving as the cornerstone for product security by providing a secure chain of custody for products, E-Pedigree also delivers demonstrated regulatory compliance for all current and future state and federal pedigree regulations.
- RxAuthentication - RxAuthentication enables companies to publish and access serialized product information, including product identity and location, across an entire supply chain network through a secure EPC repository and integrated portal.
