How Vodafone IoT Transforms the Global Pharma Supply Chain

The pharmaceutical industry faces a daunting challenge: ensuring the safe delivery of temperature-sensitive medicines.

According to the Carbon Trust, around US$30bn worth of perishable medicines and vaccines are lost annually because distributors cannot monitor shipment conditions in real time.

This staggering figure highlights a crucial gap in supply chain management.

That’s where Vodafone Business IoT and Controlant step in. Together, they’re working to make pharmaceutical supply chains more sustainable by reducing waste and the carbon footprint associated with redelivery of spoiled products.

Controlant’s zero-waste mission

Founded in 2007, Controlant is on a bold mission to eliminate waste in the pharmaceutical supply chain.

The company provides advanced environmental monitoring technology that tracks temperature, location and even light exposure of perishable medicines while they’re in transit.

Controlant’s innovative solutions align with its vision of delivering zero-waste supply chains, benefitting both its partners and the planet.

With Vodafone Business IoT by its side, Controlant is tackling one of the industry’s toughest problems head-on.

The Carbon Trust reports that Controlant and Vodafone’s collaboration reduces emissions by 53kg of CO₂e per box of medicines compared to industry averages. This is approximately 15% of the emissions typically produced over a medicine’s lifecycle.

The numbers speak volumes: Controlant avoided a remarkable 16,700 tonnes of CO₂e in 2022 alone.

IoT: The backbone of transformation

Central to this progress is the power of the Internet of Things (IoT).

Controlant relies on its Saga devices, which are reusable data loggers equipped with IoT connectivity. These devices send alerts when a shipment’s conditions deviate from the required parameters, enabling immediate action to prevent losses.

Currently, more than 200,000 Saga devices are active at any given time, all feeding data into a centralised platform. But their effectiveness hinges on uninterrupted connectivity throughout their journey — whether shipments are crossing oceans or traversing continents.

This is where Vodafone Business IoT plays a critical role. Each Saga device uses a Vodafone IoT SIM to ensure consistent and secure connectivity across 570 networks in over 180 countries.

“Vodafone is at the forefront when it comes to IoT connectivity,” says Gísli Herjólfsson, Controlant’s Co-Founder and Co-CEO. 

“Without them, we wouldn’t be able to have our devices speak to us and let us know if something goes wrong.

Transforming the pharma supply chain

The impact of Controlant’s partnership with Vodafone Business IoT has been transformative. Before implementing IoT solutions, the pharmaceutical industry faced a loss rate of 35% for perishable medicines. Today, Controlant’s customers report successful delivery rates exceeding 99%.

The environmental impact is equally compelling. During the last financial year, Vodafone Business helped its customers avoid approximately 32.8 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions through its digital solutions.

Vodafone’s IoT technology isn’t limited to pharmaceuticals. It powers initiatives like fleet management, smart metering, connected solar panels and remote patient monitoring, collectively helping save nearly 80 million tonnes of emissions since 2020.

This impressive track record underscores the potential for IoT connectivity to reshape supply chains in other industries too.

A sustainable future for pharma

Controlant’s collaboration with Vodafone Business IoT showcases how innovation and connectivity can revolutionise an industry. By addressing inefficiencies and ensuring real-time monitoring, they are not only reducing waste but also setting a standard for sustainable logistics.

With solutions like these, the future of pharmaceutical supply chains looks brighter—and greener. Gísli summarises the partnership’s essence: “Having Vodafone as a central partner means we can focus on our mission of delivering zero-waste supply chains while knowing the technology side is seamless.”

This effort is proof that, by leveraging the right tools and partnerships, industries can achieve efficiency without compromising sustainability.

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