Articles

The growing complexity of the operating environment urges pharmaceutical innovation. This essay addresses the need for the integration of advanced technologies in the pharmaceutical supply chain. It justifies the value proposition and presents a concrete use case for the integration of deep learning insights to make data-driven decisions. The supply chain has always been a priority for the pharmaceutical industry; research and development recognizes companies' increasing investment in big data strategies, with plans for a CAGR in big data tool adoption. The work presented herein has a preliminary explorative character to recuperate and integrate evidence from partly overlooked practical experience and know-how. The practical relevance of the essay is directed toward practitioners in pharmaceutical production, supply chain management, logistics, and regulatory agencies. The literature has shown a long-term concern for enhanced performance in the pharmaceutical supply chain network. This essay demonstrates the application of deep learning-driven insights to reveal non-evident flow dependencies. The main aim is to present a comprehensive insight into deep learning-driven decision support. The supply chain is portrayed in a holistic manner, seeking end-to-end visibility. Implications for public policy are discussed, such as data equity: many countries are protecting their populations and economic growth by building resilience and efficiency to ensure the capacity to move goods across supply chains. The implementation strategy is covered. The combined reduction of variability, efficiency as matured richness, reliability (on stochastic flows and their understanding through deep learning and data), and system noise (increased dampening through the inclusiveness of all stakeholders) results in increased responsiveness of supply chains for pharmaceutical products. Future work involves the integration of external data, closing the loop between planning and its application in reality.

Technological advances have had a transformative impact on the retail landscape. Challenges arise with guaranteeing technological changes lead to, rather than detract from, increased efficiency and positive experiences. First, integrating technology into the supply chain in an aggressive way is costly. It requires vast changes to existing systems and developments of cross-industry communication protocols. Secondly, the public is often quick to reject technological changes or slow to become users. Finally, ensuring that technological advancements do not only benefit the top few retailers and are accessible to those of any size poses a challenge, as has been seen in the fate of only a handful of radical changes in retail technology. On the other hand, an integral aspect of technology, particularly that used for big data collection and processing, is that it can account for these and other variables. It can predict the success of ventures into modernizing or developing new systems and can identify more effective and efficient ways to do so. Of course, the concerns of job loss or technological monopoly still loom. But, it would seem, the continued advancement of technology in the retail landscape is inevitable.