Q&A with Phoebe Fox, Logistics Manager

On National Logistics Day (28th June), we recognise the amazing work completed by our Logistics team, and other Logistics departments worldwide...

In today's world getting what you need, where you need it as quickly as possible is crucial. Whether that's something you need for your house; stationery delivery for your office; or medical freezers for your laboratory research, getting what you need on time is always a priority.

Achieving this, in the current geopolitical landscape and with challenging custom regulations, is complex. Not least in clinical trials.

To gain an insight into global logistics in clinical research, we sat down with Phoebe Fox, Logistics Manager at Woodley Trial Solutions...

Q: How busy is your role day-to-day? 

Logistics is a very busy department and a lot of the jobs we do are time sensitive. It can be hard to juggle the essential day to day jobs with longer term projects but we manage. On time delivery of items to trial sites is something that our customers value and it can make a real difference to their overall experience of Woodley Trial Solutions. The Logistics team also support our Sales and Purchasing teams with quoting and securing new business which means we’re often learning about diverse and interesting requests to support global clinical trials.

Q: What do you enjoy most about working in logistics? 

It’s an area that requires strong communication skills and complex problem solving. There’s always a way to get things to where they need to be but sometimes it’s not obvious. The key is clear communication, setting realistic expectations and thinking outside the (sometimes literal) box.

Q: From your experience, what are the biggest challenges with logistics in clinical trials? 

A lot of the products we move are regulated in some way which requires particular attention to detail. We need to be aware of anything about the product that might affect the way we ship it or require us to provide additional information.

Some of our products are hazardous, some are temperature sensitive, others are registered with regulatory bodies. It’s important that we look at all these things before deciding how and where we can move it.

Q: How do you stay on top of legislation and regulatory changes in logistics? 

It’s important to keep your ears and eyes open for announcements from regulatory bodies and governments as thing can change very quickly. For example, the HMRC website is a good resource for changes to import and export procedures and updates to HS (Harmonised System) codes. It helps that we work with great partners across the logistics industry; they often have local knowledge in the countries we are shipping to and are aware of upcoming changes that might affect our operations.

Please see our global logistics page to find out more about Woodley Trial Solutions global logistics capabilities for supporting your clinical trial.