International freight service provider DHL Global Forwarding has launched DHLThermonet, a new airfreight product for managing and monitoring temperature-sensitive shipments of pharmaceutical products and medical devices.
A new addition to the firm’s network of life sciences and healthcare facilities, DHL Thermonet provides higher visibility in temperature-controlled shipping by integrating monitoring and intervention 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with SmartSensor RFID technology. The SmartSensor monitors the ambient temperature of the shipment while in transit.
An optional service is recording near-product temperature of the goods during transport using the SmartSensor XP technology for more targeted intervention.
The data collected by the SmartSensors upload automatically via a web portal to the LifeTrack IT platform, the integrated operational tool for all logistical and temperature data, for DHL Thermonet. In addition, LifeTrack simplifies and automates document control and change management.
“The current situation within the life sciences and healthcare market, facing an increasingly regulated environment, demands a higher level of service compliance,” explained Angelos Orfanos, president, Life Sciences and Healthcare DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation. “By means of DHL Thermonet, we will meet our customers’ requirements, enhance our cold chain activities, and expand our market leading capabilities in life sciences and healthcare.”
The company is currently focusing on implementing the DHL Thermonet standard at over 30 life sciences competence centers around the globe. The service will continue to be rolled out in 2014, targeting 60 stations by the end of the year. Further network expansion is planned, the company said.
