Global stocking and warehousing: four customer benefits from our strategic planning and investments

Planning and executing a clinical trial is a complex and exhaustive process. But not everything needs to be hard work. For several years, Woodley Trial Solutions has been building its logistics and distribution processes to make the supply of medical equipment quick, seamless, and hassle-free anywhere in the world.

Through our three distribution centres and a powerful strategic distribution partnership , our customers know we can both supply crucial equipment at speed with regulatory and import support.

In mainland Europe, our site in the Netherlands has been strategically chosen to help us overcome any new trade barriers or challenges arising from Brexit. That is a crucial component of supplying clinical trials operating within the European Union’s single market. Our headquarters in Bolton  serve the UK, Europe, and the rest of the world – including Africa, Asia, and Australasia. And our site in New York also has an enormous reach, assisting studies across all three countries of North America.   

As a result of this detailed planning and investment, our customers enjoy a series of significant benefits, including:

• Fast deliveries
  The location of our three sites, combined with the abilities of fast-parcel operators, allows us to supply medical equipment to almost any country in the world in a very short space of time. Most territories are reachable in just three or four days at most. A clinical trial in Brazil, for example, could be supplied incredibly quickly because of our logistics partnerships and continued investment. In Europe, our strategic distribution site in the Netherlands is accessible by both road and sea. It always contains a large amount of stock that can be quickly delivered to sites across the EU single market. Our ever-ready stock levels are also complemented by twice-weekly deliveries from our Bolton facility. These deliveries are designed to ensure any urgent equipment can be dispatched to sites across the EU on a dedicated vehicle or via courier express/economy service. 
  
  
• Dedicated healthcare hubs
  Our strategic distribution partner  is dedicated to healthcare logistics, so end-users of our equipment can enjoy peace of mind by knowing it has been handled with care on every step of its journey. As well as enhanced cleaning measures and extra security, even relatively simple things like specific handling and storage protocols are all designed in the context of healthcare equipment. Our strategic distribution partner is also accredited to ISO9001, which is critical for working with sterile equipment. It is simply inappropriate to risk sterile equipment, such infusion sets and syringe pumps, being overseen by distribution facilities that are unaware of the steps needed to guarantee ongoing sterility.
  
  
• Guaranteed regulatory compliance and customs clearance
  All our products entering the EU’s single market clear customs procedures in the Netherlands. To import into an EU member state, you need a European EORI (Economic Operators Registration and Identification) number for that country. That involves setting up a business, registering for VAT, and establishing fiscal representation. Because we have all these systems set up in the Netherlands, once our goods are into the single market they can be moved freely within the member states under its four freedoms principles. Our approach is efficient, complies with all regulatory laws, and runs parallel with the EU’s Medical Device Regulation (MDR), which came into force in May 2021. Crucially, it also removes the administrative burden from the end customer. We handle all the customs paperwork so our end-users – such as nurses and doctors – can focus entirely on the device rather than worrying about the legal steps necessary to secure it.
  
  
• Complete reliability
  Because of our investment in our global logistics infrastructure, our clients can rely on our deliveries. Nerves about delivery fulfilment are removed because our three strategic sites either already have equipment in stock or can receive stock incredibly quickly. In turn, that means customers can plan their SIV (site initiation visit) dates in confidence, knowing that they will have everything they need when their first patient arrives.

Looking for a partner you can trust? Wherever you’re based, contact us today to talk through your clinical trial equipment requirements. We’ll be happy to help.