Advanced therapies are therapeutic procedures to treat serious and often rare
diseases more effectively. The aim is to replace malfunctioning or defective
cells or to initiate processes for regeneration.

These novel therapies, however,
implicate unique requirements regarding storage and logistics that are difficult
for healthcare manufacturers to manage. “Arvato has therefore decided to
expand its European storage and warehousing capacities in cooperation with
Brooks Life Sciences in Germany to offer customers best-in-class automated
ultracold storage services including LN2 cryogenic storage,” explains Dr.
Thorsten Winkelmann, President Healthcare.

For Arvato’s customers, this means that in addition to established international
service offerings for commercial distribution they now also benefit from Brooks
Life Sciences deep application experience and proven technologies to protect
sample integrity while adding precise inventory accuracy and documentation.
Sample quality and simultaneous compliance with regulatory requirements is
assured by Brooks’ team of ultra-low storage experts. Dr. Markus Albertini,
Director of Brooks Life Sciences European Services: “Arvato customers have
access to our complete sample management and biorepository services,
including the Brooks Life Sciences BioStore III automated storage system,
to provide secure and accurate inventory control, optimized customer
workflows, and improved sample throughput. The system provides a flexible,
modular, and automated solution for a wide range of labware and can be used
for materials requiring storage at temperatures between -20°C and -196°C.”

The comprehensive network of Arvato Supply Chain Solutions’ Healthcare
the business unit currently comprises 17 international sites with a total storage
area of 200,000 square meters. Temperature-controlled areas allow storage
of sensitive products from an ultra-low or cryogenic environment (-196°C) up
to ambient (+15°C to +25°C).

The individual logistics centers are equipped with state-of-the-art
infrastructure certified according to GMP, GDP, IATA, and ISO and meet the
requirements of modern temperature-controlled supply chain management in
all temperature classes. This network is currently to be enriched to meet the
special requests for cell and gene therapies.

Arvato´s mission is to deliver high value to the healthcare industry by
managing the complexity of advanced therapies through digital
technology and operational services. Dr. Thorsten Winkelmann: “By
creating an opportunity for cell and gene therapy manufacturers to store
their sophisticated products professionally, they can also benefit from
Arvato’s complete range of order-to-cash logistics services out of one
hand. In addition to storage and distribution, we also provide customer
and financial services. Thus our customers benefit from an integrated end-to-end solution.

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Arvato Supply Chain Solutions has further expanded its network in China with two new locations in Shanghai and Guangzhou. The supply chain and e-commerce service provider now
has a total of six distribution centers with almost 40,000 square meters
of storage space in China.

“Within the past few months we have added two key sites to our footprint in
line with our strategic goal to grow our Asian business together with our
international customers,” says Raoul Kuetemeier, Head of Asia at Arvato
Supply Chain Solutions.

In Shanghai, the new warehouse is located in the Yangshan Free Trade Zone (FTZ). Since September, Arvato has been providing 5,000 square meters of warehouse space there for a well-known high-tech company to
store, pick and pack and globally distribute products such as AR and VR glasses. The site went live just in time to support a new product launch that started days after the first shipments were received. Around 20
employees handle a volume of 400 pallets inbound and outbound every day.

With exception of the labeling, all inbound processes are controlled paperless. Worldwide distribution takes place by air freight via the nearby Pudong Airport. In addition to the geographical and the infrastructural benefits, the Yangshan FTZ, which is supported by the Chinese government,
offers particular advantages in customs clearance. Goods can be imported and exported duty-free, which enables faster processes and reduces costs.

Prior to this, Arvato Supply Chain Solutions had expanded its domestic (nonbonded) footprint for a customer from the automotive supplier industry by opening a 2,000 square meters warehouse in Guangzhou, the largest city in the Pearl River Delta. The site compliments the existing sites in Shanghai,
Kunshan, Shenzhen and Beijing. In addition to the warehouse logistics services in Guangzhou, Arvato is responsible for national distribution in the B2B business and supplies retailer and repair centers throughout China with automotive spare parts and high-quality engine oils. Up to 100 pallets
inbound and outbound are processed daily. “While Guangzhou is not our largest warehouse in China, it is the first to house our new IT system: offering an almost paperless cloud based Warehouse Management System with networked mobile devices,” explains Raoul Kuetemeier. Among other things Pick-by-voice systems, text recognition, RF handhelds, ring scanners and portable label printing equipment are used for this. Raoul Kuetemeier: “The automation of processes and sites with more technology and intelligent systems is an essential part of the digitization strategy of Arvato Supply Chain Solutions. The solutions must be scalable, flexible, globally deployable and reliable.”

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