Advanco and Tjoapack: A partnership of innovation lasting for over seven years – and counting

Tjoapack’s clients rely on its ability to pack drugs and medicines securely, while ensuring all mandatory geographically-specific serialization requirements are adhered to. In a partnership that has lasted for over seven years and continues to this day, Tjoapack has worked alongside advanco to ensure its clients are provided with the most innovative and flexible serialization solutions in existence.

About Tjoapack

• Founded:  1989
• Headquarters:  Netherlands
• CEO: Dexter Tjoa
• Locations:  Netherlands and Clinton, Tennessee, U.S.
• Services: 
  • Packaging solutions
  • Quality services
  • Logistics services
  • Clinical services
• Industry: Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
• Total Packaging Lines:  20
• Annual Pharmaceutical Packs:  Approximately 26 million
• Website:  www.tjoapack.com

The Tjoapack and advanco partnership

When the working relationship between Tjoapack and advanco started in 2017, advanco took the time to truly get to know Tjoapack, understand its ethos and learn the minute details of its working practices.

This deep-dive was essential. As a leading, outsourced contract packaging supplier, Tjoapack’s customer service standards and the quality of its work are vital. Its clients, including some of the most instantly-recognisable pharmaceutical names, will only entrust the packaging of their products to a company capable of delivering the best packaging services, which fully meet all regulatory requirements.

The serialization solutions deployed on Tjoapack’s 20 packaging lines are integral to this operation. Only the best serialization solutions will suffice for Tjoapack’s clients – therefore, only the best can be supplied to Tjoapack by advanco.

Tjoapack’s US challenges

The first challenge was one of resources. As an established Netherlands-based company, Tjoapack had limited resources in the US when it bought its US packaging location in 2021, therefire advanco’s flexibility and ability to act as an extension of the Tjoapack team was invaluable.

Advanco then needed to address the second issue – to overhaul the outdated systems in place in the US that were threatening to seriously derail the overall efficiency of Tjoapack’s packaging operations. Not only were they antiquated, they were not well documented, meaning it was hard to gather the data needed to improve overall efficiency levels for Tjoapack.

Furthermore, on top of all these challenges, there was also a serious issue with the existing Level 4 vendor, meaning this supplier needed to be removed. This action, if handled incorrectly, posed a real risk of seriously destabling overall operations.

How did advanco solve these issues?

Advanco recognised there was a requirement to provide a solution that “joined together” the packaging lines in the Netherlands and the US to make their serialization operations function at equal efficiency levels. This needed to be done while advanco acted as a bridge during the removal of the incumbent Level 4 vendor.

Advanco’s solution was to deploy key components of its ARC platform. ARC is a software solution for regulated track and trace, from Level 2 to Level 5, offering maximum flexibility, extremely high security, and governmental compliance without sacrificing quality standards.

The specific solutions used by Tjoapack are:

• ARC MES / Cockpit: It is a site management system that handles the entire serialization and aggregation processes, collect data from the packaging lines, and sends back printed serial number reports to the company repositories or the country repositories. ARC MES/Cockpit provides the following features: Order Management, Master Data Management, Serial Number Management and other features for external modules and packaging lines.
• ARC LES: It handles warehouse and packaging shop-flooroperations, including rework-after-serialization andshipment management, to increase inventorymanagement efficiency. The core functionalities of ARC LES are the followings: Good receipts and Return Operations, Shipment, Rework, and Low Volume Serialization.

In addition to ARC MES / Cockpit and ARC LES, advanco also installed interfaces with the Level 2 Line Connector, Level 4 Technology Connector, WIPOTEC and the ERP Connector.

The benefits for Tjoapack

James Bury, Director of Technology at Tjoapack, said: “Tjoapack and advanco work together as true partners. Advanco takes the time and trouble to understand our demands in minute detail, are always transparent with how they can help us, and are always willing to be flexible. This is especially appreciated when we need extra support. Advanco’s support team are always ready and waiting to share their knowledge, suggestions, and insights. The knowledge that such an efficient safety net is always in place, 24-hours a day, seven days a week, is very reassuring to us all.”

Dexter Tjoa, CEO of Tjoapack, said: “Tjoapack is proud of the reputation it has built up since 1989 when it became the first company in Europe to put barcodes on unit dose medicines. Over the last 35 years, Tjoapack has become synonymous with delivering products which are the best-in class, delivered in the most professional manner possible. It therefore goes without saying that any company we work with needs to enjoy the same quality of reputation. Advanco, as a global leader in serialization solutions, matches this profile perfectly.”

Alf Goebel, CEO, advanco, added: “Our partnership with Tjoapack started back in 2017 and continues to deliver strong results. It is a true collaborative effort, and one that we remain very proud of. We look forward to continuing long into the future.”

Conclusion

Advanco’s partnership with Tjoapack shows that complicated geographical boundaries, outdated equipment and constantly-changing regulatory hurdles can all be overcome when working with the correct serialization solution provider.

A good outcome stems from a good partnership. This is the approach that advanco insists upon – and is one that will always yield the best possible results, for all involved.

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