Management of supplies of medicines, medical supplies and veterinary products: how incomplete data slows down receipt and delays availability

In one distribution operation, delivery data available before receipt replaced the manual transcription of delivery notes. Together with the automation of subsequent processes, the change brought annual savings of one million Czech crowns. The same mechanism is relevant for distributors of medicines, medical consumables, veterinary products, and pet supplies. Delays do not arise only during transport. They often occur only once the goods reach the warehouse, when employees find out during unloading what has arrived, which order the delivery belongs to, and according to which rules it should be received.

Distributors in these segments work with portfolios that involve different requirements for record-keeping, storage, and further dispatch. For part of the assortment, batches, expiry dates, or temperature regimes must be checked. In the case of medical consumables or pet supplies, the decisive factors may be a high number of items, fast turnover, and the ability to process a large number of orders without increasing manual checks.

Goods may be physically present in the warehouse, but until they are correctly identified, checked, and recorded, the distributor cannot reliably offer them to customers or release them for dispatch. If the necessary data arrives only with the shipment, employees manually match the delivery to a specific order during receipt, check the quantity, and verify the conditions for further processing. The delay reduces dock throughput, ties up staff capacity, and postpones the use of stock in commercial operations.

Data must precede the physical flow  

Planned receipt requires the distributor to know in advance the identification of the delivery, the number of logistics units, the time and place of handover, the required storage or transport regime, and the assignment to a specific order. Based on this information, the distributor can prepare dock capacity, staff, handling equipment, the warehouse zone, and the scope of the incoming inspection.

For human medicines, this information also has regulatory significance. European guidelines on good distribution practice require the identity, quality, and integrity of medicines to be maintained throughout the distribution chain. For medical supplies, veterinary products, and the broader range of pet supplies, the scope of inspection varies depending on the nature of the product. However, the common requirement remains to link the goods actually received with the correct order, quantity, and handling regime.

SSCC links a physical shipment with data about its contents  

Delivery data must be clearly assigned to a specific pallet, carton, or container. This is the purpose of the SSCC, a unique identifier of a logistics unit. Once scanned, the unit can be linked to information about its contents, quantity, batches, expiry dates, and the relevant order. It is a key element of the logistics label that makes it possible to connect the physical flow of goods with information across the supply chain.

If the distributor receives the data before the supplier dispatches the goods, it can prepare the receipt process and verify during unloading whether the actual condition matches the announced delivery. The receipt confirmation then records the difference between the ordered, dispatched, and received quantities and provides a basis for warehouse records, claims, and further distribution.

More accurate information improves the performance of the entire chain  

The impact of high-quality data is not limited to faster unloading or simpler inspection. It also affects capacity planning, inventory management, and the reliability of fulfilment between individual participants in the supply chain.

A model situation involving a multi-level industrial chain linked the continuous sharing of operational information with a reduction in the manufacturer’s costs of 3.3 to 6.3% and distributors’ costs of 5.5 to 9.7%. At the same time, the OTIF indicator improved, meaning the share of deliveries fulfilled on time and in the required quantity.

The same principle is evident in the example mentioned above. Delivery data was loaded into warehouse records before the goods were physically received, and employees used scanners during receipt to check the items actually delivered. Eliminating manual transcription together with the automation of subsequent processes brought the company annual savings of 40 000 EUR.

Data is part of distribution service quality  

For a distributor, it is not only important whether a shipment arrives at the agreed time. It needs to receive it in a planned manner, verify the actual condition, and quickly make it available to customers or its own sales channels. This applies equally to supplying pharmacies and healthcare facilities and to processing orders for veterinary practices or pet-supply e-commerce.

The quality of distribution operations therefore also depends on the completeness, consistency, and timeliness of the data provided. This determines whether delivered goods remain waiting for identification and inspection or enter further sales and dispatch without unnecessary delay.

See how data on orders, deliveries, and receipt can be connected in the distribution of medicines, medical supplies, and veterinary products so that it supports stable operations, traceability, and faster product availability.