DHL AND AIR FRANCE KLM MARTINAIR CARGO MAKE MEDICAL PRODUCT SHIPMENTS MORE RELIABLE AND TRANSPARENT

• New solution includes real-time updates on shipment temperatures while in transit
  
• Provides greater reliability and full transparency for sensitive shipments

DHL Global Forwarding, the air and ocean freight specialist of Deutsche Post DHL Group, and Air France KLM Martinair (AFKLMP) Cargo improve transparency in the pharmaceutical logistics chain with the creation of a direct host-to-host connection that enhances reliability and available tracking data for their customers. Information about deliveries can be easily accessed and monitored via DHL’s LifeTrack Portal.

David Goldberg, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding U.S., explained: “When securing product integrity and patient safety in the supply chain, data transparency is key. Taking a partnership approach to automating shipment data sharing for cargo characteristics like container temperatures is an essential step to providing our customers with peace of mind about how their shipments are being moved across the globe.”

AFKLMP’s Global Head of Pharmaceutical Logistics Enrica Calonghi added: “This is an important milestone and yet another example of our strong innovative ambition. Within Pharmaceutical Logistics, we aim to create transparency and visibility in each step of the cold chain. It is the next stage in the digitization of our industry.”

By joining forces, DHL Global Forwarding and AFKLMP Cargo enhance the integration of their systems and enable shared temperature readings for active pharma solutions. In the pharmaceutical industry, total transparency of the logistics chain is fundamental in order to maintain the integrity of the product.

The joint solution enables a host-to-host connection through an application programming interface (API) that allows for system-based integrated information sharing about the shipment journey, including all shipments’ important milestones and temperature checks for active containers. This facilitates both higher standards for reliability and real-time updates of product temperature in the cold chain while it is transported in special climate-controlled containers.

Currently, this service is provided at AFKLMP’s largest life sciences hubs in Amsterdam Schipol and Paris CDG. Based on this first proof of concept, the two companies have agreed to extend the roll-out of active container temperature readings to all the main pharma network points.