Due to the fact it can be misleading if senders compare only the naked transport prices, trans-o-flex is now providing a free TCO calculator on its website. However, the programme not only facilitates a simple total cost of ownership (TCO) calculation. In addition to supporting the calculation and comparison of total logistics costs for actively and passively temperature-controlled consignments, it also provides starting points for the reduction of costs.
Particularly when shipping pharmaceuticals, shippers face a whole range of additional costs on top of the basic transport price if they do not use a specialist service provider such as trans-o-flex, which covers these processes and risks. Examples of such additional costs include the handling of specialised packaging or coolant packs that generate additional returns, the potential need to use dry ice and the associated risks, as well as processes required for GDP compliance such as reading temperature loggers and documenting temperatures. Such processes and the associated costs for the shipper are either eliminated entirely or significantly reduced when medicines are transported under active temperature control by trans-o-flex.
“The aim of the TCO calculator is to make it possible for pharmaceutical customers in particular to see for themselves where costs arise in passive transport that are often overlooked when compared with active temperature-controlled transport,” says Lutz Blankenfeldt, Head of Strategy, Commercial and Marketing, who was in charge of the development of the TCO calculator. “The tool makes such cost structures transparent and enables our customers to calculate, for their respective shipment volumes and transport requirements, what the total costs actually are for different transport methods.”
The first users report that they have used the programme to compare their total costs for active and passive temperature control and have identified where they ultimately stand with both options. They also use the tool to examine individual cost components of their logistics chain in detail and consider whether and how expenditure can be reduced.
Information and access to the tool are available at any time via the link here.
