fbpx
DB Schenker - Now That's Logistics
  • English
  • Insights
  • Shipping & Logistics
  • Digitalization
  • Trade
  • Industries
    • Aerospace & Defense
    • Automotive
    • Beverages
    • Chemical
    • Consumer
    • Electronics
    • Fashion & Retail
    • Healthcare & Pharma
    • Industrial
    • Marine Parts
    • Oil & Gas
    • Semi Conductor & Solar
No Result
View All Result
  • Insights
  • Shipping & Logistics
  • Digitalization
  • Trade
  • Industries
    • Aerospace & Defense
    • Automotive
    • Beverages
    • Chemical
    • Consumer
    • Electronics
    • Fashion & Retail
    • Healthcare & Pharma
    • Industrial
    • Marine Parts
    • Oil & Gas
    • Semi Conductor & Solar
No Result
View All Result
DB Schenker - Now That's Logistics
No Result
View All Result
Home Industries Healthcare & Pharma

It’s allergy season – how is logistics keeping up?

May 28, 2015
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

A severe allergy season in parts of the country is pressing providers to get the right medicine to the right pharmacies at the right time.

There’s Big Data behind that antihistamine on the shelf. This spring has been an unusually severe allergy season in parts of the U.S., with the drought in the West and light precipitation in the Northeast leaving allergans in the air. But planners at pharmaceutical companies and pharmacies believe they are winning the battle. Logistics planners see it as another test of a technology-driven supply chain. Anuj Agrawal, vice president of product marketing at Orchestro says the company helps firms mine big data and better anticipate future demand. In this case, that means combining information from thousands of stores and cross-referencing it with weather forecasts and other trends. Bayer AG, which makes Claritin, says it is not waiting for customers to start sneezing before supply chains respond. Says Mike DeBiasi, vice president of Bayer’s U.S. allergy business: “There are much more advanced modeling tools that we use now…to project and predict weather trends and allergy suffering.”

“Traditionally about 6% to 10% of retail sales are lost because of out-of-stock problems,” said Anuj Agrawal, vice president of product marketing at McLean, Va.-based Orchestro. The company has a team of scientists that help companies mine big data and better anticipate future demand. The company provides Web-based software that allows clients to look at data reports, and to analyze and customize the data every day.

“It used to take [vendors] a week just to aggregate and organize the data before they could look at a report and figure out any insights,” he said.

“If it’s taking you a week to organize the data and to see you have an out-of-stock somewhere, you’re losing.”

Bayer AG, maker of over-the-counter allergy medicine Claritin, said it has been using data to get ahead of seasonal trends. Mike DeBiasi, vice president of Bayer’s U.S. allergy business, said his team started preparing the supply chain for spring six to nine months before the allergy season actually hit, using third-party software that looked at global warming information and modeled allergy and weather trends.

“There are much more advanced modeling tools that we use now…to project and predict weather trends and allergy suffering,” said Mr. DeBiasi. He said allergy suffering has been particularly bad on the West Coast and in the Northeast this year because there has been relatively less rain, leaving more pollen particles in the air. “We had signs that were projecting heavier allergy suffering this year than we saw last year,” Mr. DeBiasi said.

The allergy season typically starts in the south and moves north, the executive said. So as the season progressed in its usual pattern, Bayer closely monitored data coming in from retailers in the south to make sure the company was well stocked in regions to the north, to make sure inventory was plentiful going into the season, and winding down coming out.

The use of data in that way is critical to retailers as they try to operate lean supply chains and work with consumer goods that sell quickly.

Ash Patel, chief information officer at a Chicago-based data analytics firm Information Resources Inc., said his firm can use real-time data sources like Google Inc.’s flu index, temperature forecasts and even social media chatter to predict heightened demand for products like cough medicines Mucinex and Robitussin.

Still, the results aren’t always simple. Mr. Patel said cold weather may drive up demand for cough medicine, but brutally cold weather drives sales down. “On the flip side, when the forecast is for 20 inches of snow, that drove stock-ups and people made extra trips to get everything they needed,” he said.

“We never get it exactly perfect…it’s more of an art than a science,” said Mr. DeBiasi of Bayer. But “we’re fully supplied in the U.S. marketplace for the most severe allergy season in recent history.”

Source: WSJ Logistics Reporter Loretta Chao
Next Post

DB Schenker's “Terminal of the Future” opens in Finland

RECOMMENDED

Top 15 Ports in The Americas

Top 15 Ports in The Americas

March 16, 2018
3 Things You Need to Know about Importing Chocolate

Three Things You Need to Know about Importing Chocolate

February 2, 2017
Top 15 Ports in the Americas 2019

Top 15 Ports in the Americas 2019

June 24, 2019
DB SCHENKER’s Acquisition of USA Truck Boosts North America Cross-Border Operations

DB SCHENKER’s Acquisition of USA Truck Boosts North America Cross-Border Operations

November 7, 2023

TRENDING

Thought Leadership Updates with Art Chrapko

Thought Leadership Updates with Art Chrapko

November 29, 2023
Thought Leadership Updates with David Buss

Thought Leadership Updates with David Buss

November 14, 2023
The Port of Vancouver — What Drives Canada’s Busiest Gateway

The Port of Vancouver — What Drives Canada’s Busiest Gateway

December 13, 2018
Thought Leadership Updates with Joe Jaska

Thought Leadership Updates with Joe Jaska

November 6, 2023
The Top Air Cargo Airports in the US

The Top 10 Freight Airports in the US

March 12, 2019
DB Schenker Logo

DB Schenker is the world's leading global logistics provider, delivering over 150 years of premium performance and transportation solutions. One call gets our customers on the fast track to nearly 2,000 locations in all of the world's most important economic regions.

Contact Us

United States
+1 (800) 225-5229 (in USA)
+1 (602) 458-6200 (outside USA)
www.dbschenker.com/usa
Canada
+1 905 676 0676
www.dbschenker.com/ca

Categories

Visit Us

• DB Schenker Americas
• DB Schenker Canada
• DB Schenker Careers
• DB Schenker USA
• Trade Advisory Solutions

Follow Us

• LinkedIn
• Twitter USA
• Twitter Canada
• Facebook

© 2022 Schenker Americas, Inc. | Privacy Policy

No Result
View All Result
  • Insights
  • Shipping & Logistics
  • Digitalization
  • Trade
  • Industries
    • Aerospace & Defense
    • Automotive
    • Beverages
    • Chemical
    • Consumer
    • Electronics
    • Fashion & Retail
    • Healthcare & Pharma
    • Industrial
    • Marine Parts
    • Oil & Gas
    • Semi Conductor & Solar
  • pt-br Português
  • fr Français
  • es Español
  • en English

© 2022 Schenker Americas, Inc. | Privacy Policy

We use cookies in order to optimize our website and continually improve it. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. You can find further information on cookies in our privacy policy. Accept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT