Transporting the Covid-19 Vaccine

In contrast to other pharmaceutical shipments, vaccines shipment are required a tier one safe, secure and expedited transport solution. Our project members recognized that the key for success of this business would rest on an effective, data-driven logistic solution balancing quality and speed.

At the start of the project bidding, the team anticipated transit restrictions between shipment origin and departing airport based on the severity of pandemic-related lockdowns. To minimize risk of delay, we set Brussels Airport (BRU) as the origin point in Europe, coordinating a route for arrival at Kansai Airport (KIX) in Japan. In cooperation with JAL, our team also helped to establish the first service route between BRU and KIX in compliance with our clients’ handling requirements.

“To fulfill our objectives in a global lockdown, each member’s ability—to coordinate, analyze, revise, and support—was called on to solve logistical challenges throughout this project. Along with daily responsibilities, each member proactively contributed to achieve our collective goal, exemplifying "speed" to maintain cold-chain quality and "security" to minimize risks during end-to-end transportation.

For vaccine international transportation, KWE established control towers for supplier negotiation and state coordination, securing parking spot closest to bonded warehouse at the destination airport, and expedited all handling and clearance processes from arrival to last-mile delivery. Such a feat could not have been accomplished without the support of our overseas colleagues to ensure safety and reliability.”

KWE’s Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) division has cultivated many business relationships with pharmaceutical companies through the years in compliance with the EU’s Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certifications—whether in risk analyses, operating procedures, or the implementation of Corrective Action / Preventive Action (CAPA).
Their insight was crucial not only to project implementation, but also in proceeding global weekly conferences to address areas of improvement in document preparation and business flow setup.

- Please let us know your role in this project:
“I had overall responsibility for supply chain compliance to EU and global GDP regulations, while supporting our Global Supply Chain Team with transportation, storage, validation, scenario planning, and process control documentation to transport vaccines with safety and security.”

- What was the greatest challenge of this project?
“Maintaining continual input from all Interested Parties to ensure relevant local and global challenges were identified and addressed.”

- How did you overcome that challenge?
“We required weekly team engagement as part of our pre-planning process, step process reviews, and encouraged proactive risk analysis.”

- How shall you take advantages of this experience in the future?
“Sharing of knowledge and best practices with global team members and supply chain partners.”

- Please let us know your role in this project.
“I was the operational lead in Belgium, responsible for project implementation and contract coordination between our partners and our client.”

- What was the most difficult aspect that you resolved in this project?
“Simultaneously combining the setup and operational processes alongside the increasing volumes from other export and import shipments.”

- How did you overcome that challenge?
“By taking lead to ensure that every step is followed.”

- How will you apply this project experience in future scenarios?
“This project demonstrates our core logistic strengths and the accumulated experience will be applied to future logistical challenges.”

To this day, we continue to validate and improve operational performance in tandem with transportation partners in both Europe and Japan. As always, the KWE Group will continue to contribute as an essential business—doing our part to better society and resolve the world health crisis.