Gaurav Pandey brings more than twenty years of expertise as a digital supply chain specialist with a strong foundation in industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, and retail. He envisions the future of logistics to be shaped by automation, intelligence, and a transformative change in how we view supply chains.
“Drug delivery is not a simple process,” says Gaurav. “Starting from manufacturing, packaging, serialization, wholesale, repackaging, and distribution, there is a connected ecosystem represented by Industry 4.0.”
Industry 4.0 is the integration of intelligent digital technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), big data, robotics, and automation into the manufacturing process.
“By now, everyone has seen videos of Amazon managing their warehouses with a combination of advanced technologies such as robotics and machine learning. But gen-AI is a true game changer,” Gaurav explains. “We don’t use a hammer to solve every problem. Sometimes, a screwdriver is more useful. To leverage the AI capabilities, earlier people used to write large amounts of code to train data models, but gen-AI has completely revamped this approach. Now, we can make use of prompts, and gen-AI is capable of not only generating but also training the data models.”
While the cost of manufacturing and labor is increasing, the elderly population is growing as well. This has raised concerns about providing affordable care to everyone, and governments are asking manufacturers and retailers to put a cap on drug prices. While this can be challenging, it also provides an opportunity for pharmaceutical companies to be more creative and optimize the overall supply chain process to keep costs under control.
“SAP, a global leader in enterprise applications, provides industry-specific solutions in the life sciences and healthcare industries. The latest cloud-based solutions can not only help to streamline clinical trials, batch release process, and jurisdictional control to optimize clinical operations but also reduce the time to market by using SAP Extended Warehouse Management (EWM), Transportation Management (TM), Integrated Business Planning (IBP), Business Network for Logistics (BN4L) and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM). These solutions have already integrated with Gen-AI capabilities and are compliant with GxP regulations,” says Gaurav.
But there are challenges as well. A major concern is workforce reduction or displacement caused by automation. Gaurav acknowledges this concern and believes that companies should continue to focus on reskilling the workforce. He says, “The future of the supply chain will demand professionals who are flexible to leverage the new technologies and be a part of the transformation journey.”
Gaurav Pandey’s passion for the digital supply chain is evident. He is a firm believer that Industry 4.0 and gen-AI are not just buzzwords but represent a paradigm shift that is already underway. By embracing these advancements, businesses can unlock new levels of efficiency, agility, and customer satisfaction. The future of logistics is intelligent and connected, and it’s arriving faster than ever before.
Greg Grzesiak is an Entrepreneur-In-Residence and Columnist at Grit Daily. As CEO of Grzesiak Growth LLC, Greg dedicates his time to helping CEOs influencers and entrepreneurs make the appearances that will grow their following in their reach globally. Over the years he has built strong partnerships with high profile educators and influencers in Youtube and traditional finance space. Greg is a University of Florida graduate with years of experience in marketing and journalism.
