Exploring Zero-Contact Connectivity in lab logistics

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the need for supply chains to have secure and contactless pickup and delivery systems. This is especially true for medical supply chains that collect samples from clinics and deliver them to laboratories for testing.

Every year, US laboratories conduct more than 13 billion tests on blood, tissue and other medical samples. Lab logistics companies are now able to use integrated digital solutions at scale that eliminate touch points and automate the exchange of information to have end-to-end visibility.

BoxLock is a smart Internet of Things (IoT) software solution that is supported by tamper-resistant hardware tailored for lab boxes. The patented technology ensures that samples are secure and can only be accessed by authorized personnel.

The technology eliminates the need for person-to-person exchange of product, documents and information. It also provides visibility to lab logistics companies that eliminates unnecessary stops on driver routes and improves timely collection of samples.

Additionally, having visibility to the status of individual items in collection boxes makes it possible for lab logistics companies to give their customers more flexible time windows for having samples ready for pickup.

Drivers and courier companies traditionally have not had visibility of the individual boxes at each location, and it is estimated that between 10% and 30% of all lab boxes in the U.S. have nothing in them when drivers and couriers arrive on their appointed rounds.

BoxLock immediately recognizes when an item is scanned and placed in the specimen collection box. Upon arriving at a location containing samples, the driver opens the lab box with a unique QR code and scans the specimens.

Real-time updates are shared with the lab through a secure management portal, BoxLock Control, that gives real-time reporting and logging data as well as immediate pick-up and delivery alerts and notifications.

Besides having a contactless delivery system, BoxLock gives lab logistics companies a robust auditing process to ensure that all specimens that were available for pick up were collected, delivered and properly accounted for.

This auditing process also increases efficiency by eliminating phone calls, emails and faxes by clinic personnel and lab logistics partners to track down lost, misplaced or uncollected shipments.

Eliminating these and other errors can reduce in-person contact between administrative personnel at clinics and laboratories that could occur when searching for samples or asking patients to return to the clinic to provide a new sample.

To date, BoxLock has facilitated more than 20,000 unattended and contactless asset transfers.

The technology has many applications beyond medical supply chains. For example, an automotive dealership could have critical parts waiting in a lockbox when their service consultants arrive for work in the morning.

The possibilities are endless, but to learn more about BoxLock’s software and hardware solutions for Lab Logistics visit: https://www.getboxlock.com/healthcare