IIC Journal of Innovation 10th Edition | Page 49

Improving the Reliability and Security of Global Cold Chain Logistics O VERVIEW In this article, we will describe the current state of cold chain logistics following the use case of pharmaceuticals, where a known chain of custody and assurance of quality has enormous implications for the efficacy of vaccines and other medical assets. Global cold chains require multiple organizations to collaborate, which results in a heterogenous system of hardware, software and assets. Cold chains in the pharmaceutical industry are particularly challenging, owing to the stringent requirements associated with the movement of life-saving vaccines, cultures and medications. This article explores the current state of cold chain logistics for pharmaceuticals and identifies weaknesses in the lifecycle of a cold chain. The article also discusses how IoT can play an enabling role, and concludes with a summary of prevention and risk mitigation strategies. C HARACTERISTICS OF C OLD C HAIN L OGISTICS We can think of the cold chain as being the environmentally controlled lifecycle of a single good or asset and cold chain logistics as "a systemic project to ensure the quality and performance of goods in the production, storage, transportation, sales, and all aspects" of the product life cycle leading up to consumption of the product. 1 The single asset either has a continuous or broken cold chain. The overall machinations to store, handoff and transport the assets are the cold chain logistics. The importance of the following characteristics may vary across different types of assets, but they still must be considered at least in some manner to determine the efficacy of a cold chain logistics system. I NTRODUCTION A cold chain is a variation of a supply chain, whereby the assets that must be moved have additional requirements of being kept refrigerated or in some other manner under control of environmental parameters, such as light and humidity. Exposure of the assets to heat or humidity, even briefly, can cause diminished efficacy or complete waste. Environmental Sensitivity While it is logically simple to refrigerate or otherwise store an asset in an environmentally controlled container, great complexity and risk is introduced when assets must move between multiple parties through a holistic supply chain. Every asset is sensitive to extreme environmental conditions. Excess heat spoils vaccines. Excess humidity fuels mold growth on fabrics. Excess light can destroy certain chemicals and films. There are many other examples of destructive environmental 1 Wang, H., Lan, Y. and Kong, F. (2018). Research on Development Model and Strategy of Agricultural Products Cold Chain Logistics in Jilin Province. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 452, p.022033. - 45 - March 2019