Agile Supply Chain: Schreiner MediPharm Supports Biotest AG with “Late Stage Customization” Service

Schreiner MediPharm established a special service in a joint project with its customer Biotest AG: Late Stage Customization allows faster production of functional labels on short demand. As a result, Biotest benefits from greater flexibility and is able to respond to market requirements with the requisite agility, while Schreiner MediPharm assists its customer in meeting the demands of current segmentation trends in the pharmaceutical industry.

Biotest is a global supplier of plasma proteins and biotherapeutic drugs primarily used in clinical immunology, hematology and intensive care medicine. Due to its continuous growth, an increasing and diversified product pipeline and complex market conditions, Biotest is seeking to respond to these challenges with a variable supply chain. Speed-to-market and focus on patient needs play an important part in this context.

To address these challenges, Biotest is utilizing Schreiner MediPharm’s special Late Stage Customization service. A process center specifically dedicated to this purpose ensures optimum workflow, meeting the exacting quality requirements of the pharmaceutical industry. The labels are pre-produced in large quantities and warehoused at Schreiner MediPharm as semi-finished goods. Subsequently, as requested by Biotest, the pre-produced labels are customized by digital printing and delivered on short notice. Late Stage Customization enables fast response to the customer’s demand and flexibility in joint production processes, as defined in partner workshops. A cross-functional project team comprising personnel from Supply Chain, Sales, Packaging Development, Quality Management, Prepress Artwork Creation and Purchasing functions collaborated closely to achieve optimum workflows and results.

Biotest’s positive conclusion: “We benefit from a high level of customization, short lead times, fast delivery and high flexibility for short-term demand,” said Stefan Sadkowiak, Head of Final Packaging at Biotest. “In addition, our process costs have decreased: We no longer have to comply with minimum ordering quantities, have reduced our warehousing expense and avoid destruction costs of preprinted labels due to text revisions.”