Postponement packaging, which involves packaging a product for a specific market at the very last minute to avoid the need for repackaging,presents the industry with a huge opportunity to improve supply chain efficiency and responsiveness by ensuring companies meet market demand at the right time and reducing the amount of product that goes to waste.
Is it true you are revamping your entire software platform?
Yes, we’ll be implementing new enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, warehouse management systems (WMS) and manufacturing execution systems (MES) systems, as well as upgrading back office applications.By introducing newtools for better communication and collaboration, we are able to increase productivity and generate efficiencies across our operations. As the first company to implement full track and trace from blister to pallet and one of the first to explore the use of recyclable materials for blister packaging, Tjoapack has a history of innovation and is a strong believer in the use of technology to improve supply chain processes, and ultimately get products to patients as safely and efficiently as possible.
Does serialization help in combating counterfeiting?
Printing a unique code on each pack does not help to combat counterfeiting alone, it takes collaboration and communication across the supply chain. The point of dispensing (POD) verification system as mandated under the EU Falsified Medicines Directive (FMD) will be a good step towards rooting out any counterfeit medicine by creating a single source of truth for pharmacists to verify the authenticity of medicines. However, the FMD is not a complete track & trace system like the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) in the US, so there will be certain gaps that will need to be addressed at a later stage to further improve supply chain visibility.
What are the global challenges the industry is faced with?
Increased legislative complexity, an ageing population and downwards cost pressures from governments are some of the main challenges the industry faces in the developed world. Over the coming decade we will see innovative companies striving to meet customer demands at an acceptable cost by improving efficiencies.This will no doubt drive remarkable advances in the supply chain to reduce waste and optimise forecasting capabilities.
What makes you different from your competitors?
Tjoapack provides a uniquely flexible service ideal for today’s increasingly complex market. A recent example was our ability to supply product to Venezuela within just 24 hours. We appreciate that the products we pack are potential life savers so use our problem-solving skills and experience to make sure we deliver, even in the most challenging circumstances. In addition, we are always looking to utilise new technology to help streamline our operations and are also continuously looking at our customers’ use cases and those of the larger pharmaceutical companies to identify areas where efficiencies can be improved to reduce waste and drive down costs.
Dexter Tjoa, director corporate strategy, Tjoapack
Dexter Tjoa is director of corporate strategy at Tjoapack. He is responsible for devising, implementing and evaluating the mid to long-term strategies of the company and the services it offers, as well as overseeing the commercial, finance and IT departments within Tjoapack. He has been with the company for two years, during which time he launched Meditraq, one of Tjoapack’s sister brands which offers contract serialisation services. He holds a BSc in Mathematics from the University of London and a MSc in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Oxford and has previously worked in the technology sector.
About the Tjoapack
Founded in 1989, Tjoapack is an independent contract packager of medicines servicing clients across five continents and 42 countries. The CPO packages around 25 million packs of pharmaceutical products per year – which is equal to 1.3 billion tablets – from its site in Etten-Leur, the Netherlands. With particular expertise in track & trace, Tjoapack was the first company to perform full serialisation and aggregation on a packaging line from blister pack to pallet and its core goal continues to be to ensure a safer supply chain for patients.
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