The Benefits of Supply Chain Collaboration: A NEXUS '16 Recap

With regulatory deadlines rapidly approaching, there’s no asset more valuable than collaboration – dedicated people in the thick of DSCSA and serialization demands, sharing their knowledge and experiences. That was the dynamic at NEXUS ’16, and it seems to have been the right environment for our 200 attendees: An overwhelming majority—98.5 percent, to be exact—said they could put NEXUS ’16 information to good use at their company.

Manufacturers. Wholesalers. Dispensers. Regulators. They came from across four continents to meet in Boston for insightful keynote addresses, customer presentations, and conversations with some of the best minds in the industry. Whether you wanted a better understanding of serialization processes and regional requirements (including the U.S., EU, India, Brazil and South Korea), were interested in peers’ progress, or were just excited for VIP access and dinner at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, two days of NEXUS ‘16 fit the bill.

What drew people to this year’s event?

Nearly three-quarters of attendees told us it was the opportunity to hear from other companies—a NEXUS foundation. Two-thirds said networking was part of their decision, and about 61 percent wanted to learn more about DSCSA requirements.

Forty percent of attendees mentioned the forward-thinking approach to serialization, saying they wanted most to discuss value beyond compliance, a focus of conversation for some NEXUS ‘16 speakers. In one particularly compelling keynote, David Guzman, CIO at pharmacy wholesaler H.D. Smith, considered the value of unit-level serialization beyond even improved operational efficiencies.

“We’ve got this treasure trove of data… How do we use it to fulfill our mission?” posed Guzman. “Being able to link big sources of data, and tie relationships within them may lead to a kind of predictive analytics, to better treatments, better outcomes, better quality.” It was a resonant message, both aspirational and realistic.

Speaking of linking and relationships, it was once again easier than ever for NEXUS attendees to connect, thanks to Poken and their small digital device, given to each person. Anyone could download information—whitepapers, articles, and more—just by touching their content-of-choice along the TraceLink media wall. Touch two devices together, and you’d digitally exchange information while chatting.

NEXUS ’16 attendees got into the Poken fun, connecting to presenters, TraceLink staff and each other more than 2,200 times. They also collected 3,500 pieces of content, from keynote presentations to insights on serialization. With plenty of material and people to network with, some guests made more than 100 connections each.

But what’s the value of all this linking and learning? Plenty, according to those who joined us.

“The information I get to take back is awesome,” shared a NEXUS first-timer. “Just listening to the things you can possibly miss, and best practices, these are things we needed to know. Some things we can work on now to try and get ahead of the game.”