DHL Launches Service Logistics for the Life Sciences Medical Device Sector

DHL Supply Chain launched a new logistics services for the medical device sector that consolidates field inventory into single locations and uses quality management systems to provide better control and traceability of valuable products.

The logistics services are tailored to meet the challenges within the implantable medical device final mile supply chain. The DHL final mile solutions include the following benefits:

• Improved sales rep productivity by releasing time spent on logistics
• Reduced net inventories and obsolescence
• Improved control and visibility of consignment inventory
• Increased assurance of supply all while freeing up working capital

This is accomplished by specialists with a thorough understanding of the quality and regulatory landscape and through a network of dedicated and contracted metropolitan-based infrastructure. 

These services are in response to a number of growing industry challenges, including greater demand from an aging and more active population through to increasing cost pressure from healthcare providers. These factors have led to an ever-increasing need to better manage inventory, both in the field and in the hospital. The final mile solution focuses on the need for companies in the medical device sector to address the compromises between cost and availability and drive efficiencies in field inventory.

This solution draws on DHL’s life sciences expertise in managing critical lifesaving products and its global capability to organize mission-critical deliveries into complex environments. It is replicable, provides high visibility of inventory both inside and outside the hospital and is fully compliant globally with the rigorous standards required. It facilitates a reduction of capital commitment for inventory through just-in-time availability to hospitals, removing the requirement for just-in-case storage of medical devices.

Beyond better managing consigned inventory, the services provide a medical device sales rep resource from actively managing, checking and locating stock to enable more time on interacting with customers.

The company built these services through deploying a similar solution in the technology sector. This is suited to the medical device market, where critical products are required just-in-time. DHL provides full stock visibility and control through pooling of consignment stocks outside of hospitals, while providing mission-critical availability of inventory on a same-day basis. 

DHL says the service utilizes an established global supply chain infrastructure that is certified to the required standards for each market. It is already deployed for a major global provider of medical devices in multiple countries across the world. 

The service also provides a platform to standardized service and quality systems; at the same time enabling product returns, customer segmentation activities such as kitting and value-added services to meet local market and customer needs.