Enhancing patient care through transparency: Control Towers in healthcare logistics
In healthcare logistics, transparency and seamless communication are becoming increasingly important. It’s not just about getting goods from A to B; it’s about ensuring planning security for customers so they can deliver the best possible care to their patients. What seemed like a far-off dream just a few years ago is now a reality – thanks to cutting-edge technologies.
Imagine this: a day in a busy hospital
Consider the logistics of managing a hospital where hundreds of surgeries occur daily. Each procedure requires fresh, sterile, and ready-to-use materials. Hospital administrators face a huge responsibility—not only to their staff, who depend on reliable tools to do their jobs effectively, but most importantly to their patients, who are in need of timely and safe treatments.
Reliable supply chains and service partners are vital in this scenario. But what if crucial supplies for an urgent surgery are delayed or damaged during transit? The consequences can be devastating, not just for the operation schedule but for the lives of those depending on it.
Meeting the challenge with Control Towers
Control Towers offer a solution to these challenges by providing the greater transparency and oversight healthcare logistic needs. By leveraging these command centers, we offer real-time visibility and rapid response capabilities to keep supply chains running smoothly.
What is a Control Tower?
Control Towers are centralized hubs that provide end-to-end visibility over supply chains. They allow for 24/7 live tracking, giving customers real-time insight into their shipments from departure to delivery. More importantly, they enable our teams to react instantly to any disruptions, prioritizing our customers’ needs and ensuring their supply chain remains uninterrupted.
Our Control Towers in Honduras and France are prime examples of how this technology is transforming healthcare logistics. With their ability to monitor, adapt, and optimize, every delivery is overseen with utmost precision and care.
Real-world example: delivering under pressure
Recently, we managed a shipment of surgical materials with a critical 72-hour lifespan, requiring strict temperature controls. Our customer provided the packaging and dry ice, and we followed our Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) by providing them with a sensor to monitor the temperature in real time.
When performing the collection, the driver followed our SOP and sent pictures of the shipment. With these our Control Tower identified an issue: the Styrofoam lid had been accidentally left off, compromising the shipment’s integrity. Acting immediately, we moved the materials into our own secure packaging, replenished the dry ice, and stabilized the temperature.
Despite the recipient being located halfway across the world, we resolved the issue swiftly and the delivery arrived on time, intact, and within the required temperature range.
Their feedback said it all:
Logistics with a heart: life-saving stem cell delivery
A few weeks ago, we faced an urgent challenge: stem cells for a life-saving leukemia transplant needed to be cleared through customs at New Orleans Airport as quickly as possible. The client’s usual broker couldn’t manage clearance for this airport, making swift action essential.
Thanks to our extensive network and the flexibility of our team, we were able to coordinate with our trusted broker and complete the customs clearance process in record time. The necessary documents were secured without delay, ensuring the stem cells reached their destination on time.
Our client’s sincere gratitude underlines the value of our proactive approach and strong customer focus. This experience affirmed an important truth: flexibility and dedication are critical in healthcare logistics—because at the end of the day, they save lives.
Why Control Towers matter
The healthcare industry is evolving rapidly, with advancements like AI-assisted diagnostics and robotic caregivers making headlines. However, hospitals, caregivers and patients also need efficient logistics ensuring that critical goods reach the right place at the right time.
Control Towers play a pivotal role in providing the transparency, reliability, and flexibility healthcare providers need to focus on their primary goal: delivering the best care possible for their patients.
Looking ahead
As logistics technologies continue to advance, our Control Towers will become even more effective in enhancing supply chain visibility and reliability.
Because at the end of the day, healthcare logistics isn’t just about getting it there — it’s about patients receiving the treatment they need.