Following seven weeks of intensive auditing, the result was clear: trans-o-flex Express, trans-o-flex ThermoMed and trans-o-flex Logistik-Service successfully passed the re-certification tests in accordance with the EU-GDP (European Union’s Good Distribution Practice), a key standard in the field of pharmaceutical logistics. In this process, the auditors of TüV Süd also closely examined ThermoMed Austria and confirmed the renewed certification. In total, 12 sites of trans-o-flex Express and trans-o-flex ThermoMed respectively were audited in Germany; the Logistik-Service site in Alzenau was also inspected. In Austria all four ThermoMed sites were audited. Each network, or independent logistical business unit, requires a separate certificate. This meant that certification had to be performed four times.

GDP certification is of particular importance for trans-o-flex since the core customer base comes from the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. “Active temperature control also plays a major part in this,” according to Tamara Schulz, who is head of Quality Management at trans-o-flex. “The active temperature control that we offer — 15–25 °C at trans-o-flex Express and 2–8 °C at trans-o-flex ThermoMed, provided throughout Germany and Austria — is increasingly establishing itself as a quality standard.” According to Schulz, this is because temperature control is necessary to safeguard quality, and active temperature control is clearly more environmentally friendly than passive temperature-controlled shipping due to the fact it generates less waste and fewer emissions.

trans-o-flex was first GDP certified in 2010. The current certificates are valid for two years and are available for download from the trans-o-flex website.