trans-o-flex with a new structure and corporate design

• Restructured business areas reflect the customers’ requirements: Pharma, Technology and Contract Logistics
• Two transport networks – one standard design for vehicles and drivers’ uniforms across the entire Group
• New GDP+ label introduced: a digitalisation campaign and symbol of perfect logistics in compliance with pharma standards

In order to implement and introduce its new strategy of offering solutions for the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and consumer electronics industries, as well as for the transportation of other high-quality products, logistic specialist trans-o-flex has re-organised its structure into three new business areas and adopted a completely new corporate design. “We abandoned our traditional inward-looking orientation towards transport and logistic structures and moved towards a structure that reflects the customers’ requirements“, says Frank Iden, CEO of trans-o-flex. “At the same time, we developed a new standard corporate design that links all business areas and that, from the drivers’ uniforms, vehicles and hubs to company brochures and presentations, meets the high requirements of our core industries.”

From now on, the logistic expert offers all of its services under the trans-o-flex brand with three business areas: Pharma Logistics, Technology Logistics as well as Contract Logistics. Pharma Logistics covers the company’s entire transport offer for pharmaceutical products and cosmetics. “Due to the implementation of the EU directives for the secure transportation of pharmaceuticals, the so-called EU-GDP, active temperature control will also become the norm for the transportation of pharmaceutical products in Germany”, predicts Frank Iden. In this segment, the majority of shipments will take place in the Ambient Direct product area, i.e. at temperatures between 15 and 25 °C, and most of the remaining shipments will be in the cooling range of between 2 and 8 °C, which we call Thermo Direct.” Medical products such as plasters or medical devices, which do not need active temperature control, are now handled in the Health Direct product segment. In its second business area Technology Logistics, trans-o-flex is focusing its activities on the transportation of consumer electronics and other high-quality products in the Tech Direct product range, while Contract Logistics, as the third business area, has been established to organise all warehouse logistic and special services, e.g. the classic storage business as well as value-added services such as display installation and stocking, and fulfilment services such as invoicing, credit management or returns processing.

The vehicles will gradually be given a standard design, irrespective of the transport network they belong to. The same will happen to the drivers’ uniforms. “It is more economical, and improves quality, if the different temperature ranges are handled in separate transport networks“, comments Frank Iden. “This is why, with the operational two-track policy of differentiating between trans-o-flex Schnell-Lieferdienst for Ambient Direct and trans-o-flex ThermoMed for Thermo Direct, we are very well positioned.” The standard design is an expression of the corporate strategy: “We are a reliable partner for the producers of pharmaceuticals and other high-quality products.”

With the GDP+ label in the form of a silver badge, a new concept is added. Frank Iden: “The name GDP+ derives from the EU guidelines for the Good Distribution Practice of pharmaceuticals. It is a symbol of perfection in pharma logistics, and also of our digitalisation campaign.” This campaign aims to further increase the speed, transparency and safety of the process. With GDP+, trans-o-flex intends to eliminate all remaining manual data collection steps by the end of 2017 and to install a standardised and tamper-proof data and shipment flow across all transport systems and product variants. This will make it possible for the customers to access their information online, transparently and almost in real-time. In the long run, the system will be certified in order to make it verifiable at any time, thus providing the basis for continuous improvement. Finally, in 2018, the conversion of all pharmaceutical transports to active temperature control should be completed. “Everybody who uses the services of trans-o-flex can rely on active temperature control in the future and, upon request, will also get this documented in detail”, continues Frank Iden. “This is what GDP+ stands for and, last but not least, it also reflects the high standards that trans-o-flex meets for the benefit of all customers: it is not only pharmaceutical companies that need safety, cleanliness, transparency and reliability.”