Service for Medical Supplies, quasi-drugs and toiletries
Sakata Warehouse has cultivated a variety of know-how through more than 30 years of pharmaceutical logistics operations. In addition to complying with the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law, we confidently provide our customers with high-precision logistics services, such as operation management of logistics operations by first-in first-out (FIFO) of manufacturing lots, manufacturing lot/serial number history management, transportation and delivery management, and construction of logistics information systems that realize labor saving and high quality.
In addition, our staff, who are well versed in the pharmaceutical logistics business, act as agents for our customers, providing support and assistance for logistics innovation, as well as outsourcing services while effectively utilizing our customers’ assets.
Value/strength
Service Q&A
3PL service list
3PL System
Warehouse /DC list
DC Quality ControlMino Warehouse of Kita Osaka Sales Office
MOVIE
(Service for Cosmetics)
Sakata Group started operations of Mino Warehouse of Kita Osaka Sales Office in November 2019 in the first year of Reiwa as a business commemorating the 100th anniversary of its founding.
Introducing cosmetics distribution and 3PL services (movie) at Mino Warehouse of Kita Osaka Sales Office, which are state-of-the-art distribution centers.
Distribution in the Pharmaceutical Industry(Medical Supplies, quasi-drugs and toiletries)
The Structure of the Pharmaceutical Industry
The Pharmaceutical Affairs Law has jurisdiction over a total of five areas: pharmaceuticals, quasi-drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, and regenerative medical products. Of these, the following is a simplified diagram of the distribution channels for pharmaceuticals, especially OTC drugs.
The reorganization of manufacturers and wholesalers, the rise of drugstores and other organized retailers, as well as the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law are expected to continue changing the distribution structure.
Value/strength
The followings are listed the problems and the request matters in the pharmaceutical industry summarized originally by our company.
1-1.The problems about a physical distribution (example)
- Not only lot management but management per serial number is required but it has not been effective enough in responding to the needs. Also, lot of man-hour is spent on extracting the record.
- Depending on the wholesale, there are traders who return massive number of products and as a result, lots of time and effort are spent on inspection and sorting returned goods.
- Outsourcing the storage to external warehouse is desired, however as permission for general wholesale business and pharmacists for external warehouses are required, it cannot be easily outsourced.
1-2.Requirements from the owner of goods (examples)
- Continued improvement in the logistics service to the customers and
respond to improvement of companies social responsibility (CSR). - Implement system that enables serial number management (arrival of goods, inventory control and delivery management) Also in the future, there is a need to improve the efficiency and standardize the business in order not to depend on the experts.
- Simplify returned goods logistics operations. Also, the request of implementation of the system for return goods, if there is such kind of system.
- Find the logistics service providers that can prepare manufacturing (packaging, display and storage) and possessing general wholesaler license and pharmacists by themselves or find the property that enables permit application of such licenses.
Sakata warehouse’s 3PL service will
solve these problems!
1.Implement a system that enables serial number management
In addition to lot management, we have introduced a management system that can control serial numbers. With this system, you can manage systematically the route through which products (lot, serial numbers) are delivered and look up easily past performances.
2.Implement returned goods inspection system
By implementing returned goods inspection system developed by our company, any worker can work on returned good inspection in a relatively short amount of time. By reading the product bar code and manually entering the lot numbers, it matches the lot numbers of the returned product with the the past shipment and it gives a non-defective product or defective product judgement by voice answer.
3.Proposal of pharmaceutical permission granted warehouse
By placing our pharmacist to our warehouse, we will be able to acquire permission for manufacturing pharmaceutical products/general wholesale business. At our company’s warehouse you can acquire permission for manufacturing pharmaceutical products under your name. Also we respond to various requests such as establishing a laboratory and considering a place for putting testing products before they release.
4.Introduction of stock management system / compatible with the existing systems
Our own stock management system can be connected to the data of the existing order management system. As well as basic stock management functions , this system supports additional functions of keeping rental records of office supplies and placing supplement orders for short stock items.
5.Proposal for constant temperature storage
We have a temperature-controlled warehouse in our warehouse, and can propose storage and inventory management functions that correspond to the various product characteristics required for pharmaceutical distribution.
1.Improvement of tracing products accuracy and clarifying responsible party for each operation.
When any problems arose, because of that it became possible to trace a product in detail such as in which production line it came from and to in what order it had been produced, we could now clarify the cause of the problem and find out where the responsibility lay.
2.Reducing the workload behind the inspection of returned goods, and increasing the processing power
By installing a system that is based on the knowledge that we have gained in many years by inspecting returned goods, we can make a worker a part of the strong workforce in a short amount of time, regardless of the worker’s experience. Also, this will expedite the overall process.
3. Logistics operation can be outsourced
Due to manufacturing permission, majority of the logistics had to be operated by one’s company. However, outsourcing is enabled to warehouse that has permission and contains pharmacists. Also, the pharmacists can be shared between the head office and the distributor when outsourcing.
4. Contribute to the improvement on company’s social responsibility (CSR)
By implementing the inventory management system, product trace can be carried out accurately and promptly and as a result, it contributes to the company’s social responsibility.
5.Temperature-controlled warehouse to reduce transportation costs.
By storing products that require temperature control in a temperature-controlled warehouse within our warehouse premises, we have reduced the costs (freight, loading and unloading charges, etc.) previously incurred in moving products to a dedicated warehouse.
Service Q&A
The following is a list of frequently asked questions and answers about our 3PL service in the pharmaceutical industry.
Improvements in logistics consulting analysis by (paid), posing challenges, from suggestions for improvement, Sakata warehouse is developing a one stop service until ( 3PL warehousing services) of actual business practice. Improvements in logistics, distribution system reconstruction, such as cost control (reduction), but about logistics, please feel free to contact us.
Other than inventory control and location management, we carry out the required production lot management for medical supplies/medical equipment, warehouse management and expiry date management. Based on their information, we complete the FIFO and put it into practice.
We carry out barcode inspection of goods received, which we’ve been doing from the start, goods lot confirmation and registration at the time goods are received, and separate storage of product lot and shelf location storage management. We also deal in assorted shipping of ordered products without inventory to temporary locations, and arrangement of goods received without barcode/comparison with stock data.
As distribution of pharmaceutical products/medical equipments involves human lives, it is required to have extremely higher accuracy distribution compared to other industries. Sales person may be required to deliver and witness inspection of handled products. We also provide a service which includes centralised system for picking packages according to each sale/business site at our distribution center and deliver products to our customer’s business site. Please do not hesitate to consult us.
Our company carries out operations that corresponds to visual inspection, applying domestic manufacture label (responsibility label) when importing medical equipment/quasi-pharmaceutical products, product storage and manufacturing record management after determining the release. Being managed by our company’s warehouse which has acquired permission for manufacturing (packaging, display and storage) and our company’s responsible engineers, you can count on us for manufacturing-related operations and domestic distribution center operations in one-stop.
By our company’s WMS, volumetric calculation when shipping and packaging separately can be carried out. Also, we correspond to the creation of ASN (advance ship) information and issuing of dedicated slip for each kind, packaging and shipping of OTC, shipping products lot achievement control according to each delivery destination and tracking management.
3PL service list
SAKATA WAREHOUSE will propose and support the realization of consistent “Supply Chain Logistics” from your domestic suppliers to end users.
We would like to introduce our 3PL service for the pharmaceutical industry.
Overall picture of logistics outsourcing
(1)3PL Services
1.Inventory Management (Stock Keeping)
Using WMS (Warehouse Management System), a system developed originally by Sakata Group which has many actual operative performances in pharmaceutical logistics business, we manage our inventory. It interacts with inventory input and output and also with location management, and it enables the actual and real-time stock counting in SKU (piece).
We also take all possible measures to control manufacturing lots and temperatures, which are strictly required in pharmaceutical distribution operations.
2.Transportation and Delivery
Using our simulation systems, we will select and combine the most suited transportation and delivery method (mode of transportation, companies) to our customers. By tracking information of goods and completion of delivery information by EDI with several delivery companies, we will quickly respond to the retailer’s inquiries about the delivery status. Also we will promptly provide our customers with shipping information and delivery completion information by E-mail for large roll out shipments of new products. We also provide the cool and temperature controlled delivery service by various alliance companies.
3.Peace picking
Though medical products has become a large lot shipment due to the establishment of mega distribution centers of wholesale companies, on the other hands, self-medication product (OTC) has been getting smaller shipment due to direct delivery to the retailers.
Sakata group provides the customers with standardization and accuracy of their operation by selecting of suitable materials handling equipment for customers business size and their needs.
Using with our own item tag labeling system for large or oversized items (e.g.. promotion goods) integrated together with DPS, we can provide high efficiency of operation and high level of total logistic services.
4.Logistics Processing
Our detailed and experienced operators – logistic processing operation specialists – will handle all sorts of requests from customers such as issuing and labeling of bar code labels, tagging of prices, assorting and shrink wrapping of gift items, to meet end users various needs. In the case of customers request, we can also repacking products into smaller sizes (smaller packaging) to each delivery destination.
5. Information System
In addition to the Warehouse Management System (WMS) proven, we can provide total operation management by our Total Logistics Management System covering whole customer’s Supply Chain from “order processing” to “delivery products to the end users”. This Total Logistics Management System is functions of Order Management System, a system of creating tags in conjunction with material handling machine and equipment, an inspection system in each shipping processes and Transportation Management System.
6.Quality control
As well as daily quality control, we will provide our customers improving logistics quality and services constantly by setting quality control goals, creating and executing work efficiency plan by PDCA.
(2)Compliance with the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law / Manufacturing work
Manufacturing Permission (packaging, display, storage) of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law
Warehouses with manufacturing licenses can perform manufacturing operations (packaging, labeling, storage) such as product appearance inspection, package replacement, and attachment of pharmaceutical labels/sealing of efficacy statements for imported cosmetics and quasi-drugs based on the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law, as well as the preparation of manufacturing records and operations/quality control by responsible engineers.
3PL Systems
Sakata Warehouse is promoting “systemization” and “visualization” of logistics to maintain and improve the quality of logistics by standardizing and streamlining operations, and to reduce errors to zero, by linking warehouse operations support tools such as the WMS and TMS core systems, cargo labeling system, piece picking system, and shipping inspection system, with the incoming and outgoing management, inventory management, and transportation and delivery management of commercial and general cosmetics.
We also provide high quality and accurate information services (fulfillment services) to our customers by using business support tools such as web-based ordering systems and shipping history management systems.
Overall picture of the 3PL logistics system (“standardization + efficiency + visualization” promotion)
System Introduction
Warehouse /DC list
Sakata Warehouse has distribution centers in the Kansai, Chubu, and Kanto regions, providing warehouse services and distribution center functions in compliance with the Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Act for cosmetics, quasi-drugs, and medical devices, which are frequently requested by our customers.
We also provide BCP-compliant logistics services through the coordination/networking of our bases.
DC Quality Control
Sakata Warehouse has set up a department to implement company-wide quality control, and is working to maintain and improve total logistics quality by providing education, guidance, and support for 5S methodology and Kaizen at each sales office/logistics center, as well as coordination and collaboration among related departments.
In addition, we hold regular meetings with our customers to analyze the causes of accidents and complaints, take countermeasures, and report on Kaizen activities to enhance the relationship of trust with our customers, promote internal and external communication, and implement stable quality control.
