Across the pharmaceutical industry, supply chain leaders are facing a familiar set of challenges: fragmented data systems, limited visibility, and an overreliance on manual processes.

As logistics operations scale to meet global demand, many organisations are discovering that their current infrastructure struggles to keep up - especially when it comes to cold chain compliance, temperature data management, and KPI reporting.

Much of the strain comes from the way data is collected and handled. It’s still typical for teams to receive temperature logger outputs in PDF or Excel format, store them in places like SharePoint, and manually clean and reconcile information before it can be analysed. This fragmentation not only slows down operations, it also limits the ability to identify risk patterns or take timely corrective action.

Business intelligence (BI) tools are often in place, but they tend to offer retrospective visibility. Most dashboards show what went wrong after the fact - not what can be done to prevent issues in the future. At the same time, IT teams are frequently hesitant to onboard new point solutions, making it difficult for logistics and quality teams to improve agility without introducing shadow systems.

As companies expand into new markets and take on more complex shipping routes, the cracks in these legacy approaches become harder to ignore. Many continue to lean on offshore or outsourced support models to manually process and manage compliance data. But this model doesn’t scale efficiently - doubling shipment volume typically means doubling manual effort.

How Pharma Supply Chains Are Responding

To move forward, leading organisations are shifting toward more scalable, analytics-driven infrastructure. One of the key enablers is the centralisation of data. Instead of relying on ad hoc file sharing and manual tracking, companies are building structured databases that pull together temperature data, shipping routes, and logistics partner performance in one place.

This consolidation lays the groundwork for more advanced capabilities - such as correlating specific routes with temperature excursion trends, enabling seasonality-based shipping decisions, and reducing unnecessary use of refrigerated containers. In parallel, transport management systems (TMS) and upgraded BI tools are helping to streamline operations and track key KPIs.

Crucially, this transformation is not just about technology - it’s about aligning operations, quality, and IT around a common objective: building a future-ready supply chain that can scale intelligently without sacrificing visibility or compliance.

Key Takeaways for Pharma Supply Chain Leaders

  • Unify your data landscape: Disparate data sources create inefficiency and obscure critical insights. Consolidation is a foundational step toward improvement.
  • Automate for scalability: Manual processes may work at small volumes, but they break under pressure. Automation frees teams to focus on high-value work.
  • Enable cross-functional collaboration: IT, Quality, and Logistics must work in sync to implement digital tools that support long-term strategy, not just immediate fixes.
  • Move from reactive to proactive: Real-time, predictive insights are essential for managing risk and improving performance across cold chain and logistics networks.

As the pharmaceutical supply chain continues to evolve, organisations that prioritise digital transformation, starting with clean, connected data, will be best positioned to deliver reliably and compliantly, no matter how complex the journey becomes.

To discuss how Veratrak can help your organisation centralise data, automate critical processes, and unlock actionable insights, please get in touch with our team today. Our experts are ready to support your digital transformation journey and ensure your supply chain is prepared for the challenges ahead. Contact Veratrak to learn more.