Source: Deutsche Nachrichten
Digitalisation in pharmaceutical companies and pharmaceutical wholesale often focuses on medicines, batches and stock levels. At the same time, however, a second layer of assets moves through production, warehousing and pharmaceutical logistics: operational equipment. This includes mobile testing and measuring devices, mobile data capture devices, tablets, tools, transport boxes, keys and other technical equipment.
Shared assets in particular can create considerable organisational effort. A device may have been passed on to another department, a transport box may still be in circulation or a required measuring instrument may not be in its designated location. COSYS Asset Tracking Software creates a digital lifecycle for these assets: each item is uniquely identified, while storage, issue, return and transfer movements are documented immediately.
Track Equipment Instead of Simply Recording It
A conventional asset register primarily answers one question: What does the company own? In an operational pharmaceutical environment, that is often not enough.
Asset Tracking also answers: Where is the equipment now? Who is it assigned to? Which movements have taken place, and when was it last available?
Employees can capture assets using barcodes, serial numbers or RFID. Issuing a device to an employee or transferring it between the warehouse, production and other areas is recorded directly. The data is then available centrally in the COSYS WebDesk, where stock, locations, responsibilities and transaction histories can be tracked.
For valuable equipment or assets that are only available in limited quantities, this level of transparency can reduce unnecessary search times and duplicate purchases.
Automated Dispensing Lockers Connect Software with Physical Handover
Asset Tracking becomes particularly useful when frequently required equipment no longer needs to be issued in person. COSYS automated dispensing lockers can be integrated for precisely these applications.
If an employee requires a mobile data capture device, measuring instrument or another stored asset, access can be granted to an assigned compartment. Identification and access are possible, for example, via RFID, barcode, PIN or mobile application. Collection and return are digitally documented and linked to Asset Tracking.
This creates a traceable chain of custody without requiring a central equipment desk to be permanently staffed. At the same time, it remains clear who collected which asset and when.
This is particularly relevant for shift-based operations in pharmaceutical production, warehousing and logistics. Equipment can remain available when required, even outside the operating hours of the responsible equipment or materials team.
Pharmaceutical Transport Also Depends on Visible Assets
In pharmaceutical transport, Asset Tracking does not necessarily stop at the factory gate. Reusable transport boxes, containers and other load carriers can circulate between warehouses, production sites, branches or external partners.
These assets have their own circulation cycles and generate costs if they remain tied up for too long or are not returned. COSYS Container Management records goods-in, goods-out and transfer movements and enables assets to be assigned to locations or responsible parties. Load carriers and transport boxes can therefore be managed as dedicated Asset Tracking use cases.
This makes it possible to see not only how many transport assets are available overall, but also which are currently in circulation and which have shown no movement for an extended period.
Turn Asset Data into a Management Tool
As the number of operational assets increases, the data generated by their movements becomes increasingly valuable. In the COSYS WebDesk, managers can analyse transaction histories or specifically identify assets that have not moved for a defined period.
This helps answer questions that are difficult to address with a static asset register: Which assets are heavily utilised? Which devices spend most of their time unused? Where are circulation times particularly long? And which assets are affected by repeated losses or delayed returns?
The resulting process data can also provide a foundation for Business Intelligence and advanced process analysis. This allows actual demand to be assessed more accurately before additional equipment is purchased.
Make Equipment Available Where It Is Needed
Asset Tracking is particularly valuable for pharmaceutical companies when asset registration and day-to-day operational use are managed as one process. COSYS combines mobile Asset Tracking software, WebDesk, automated dispensing lockers and interfaces to existing ERP, WMS or DMS solutions. The system can be operated either in the COSYS Cloud or on-premises.
Combined with suitable hardware, services and data analytics, this creates a scalable system for operational assets – from individual mobile data capture devices to extensive equipment and transport-asset pools spanning multiple departments and sites.
Would you like to try Asset Tracking in practice? Download the free COSYS demo apps from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store and test mobile data capture directly on your smartphone.