Arvato Healthcare is expanding its activities in Italy and has opened a new distribution centre in Calcinate, near Bergamo. Since August 2016, the warehouse has had an additional 3,500 sq m of space for dispatching pharmaceutical products.
The new site features a warehouse for products stored at 2-8°C. The service portfolio also covers the actively and passively refrigerated transport of products, with 50 pallet spaces available for this. The company also uses insulated boxes for express deliveries to hard-to-reach areas in Italy.
The warehouse also provides 3,000 pallet spaces for the storage of ambient products at temperatures between 15-25°C. If required, the space used by Arvato Healthcare can be extended by 5,000 sq m.
“Our portfolio in Italy comprises services ranging from warehousing, pick and pack services, transport and returns management to ‘Bollini handling’ – which means pharmaceutical product packaging being scanned and the information passed on to the Italian authorities, in accordance with the health ministry’s requirements”, explained Maria Rizzuto, Project Manager at Arvato Healthcare Italy.
Arvato claims the warehouse and all of its Healthcare activities in Italy will meet Good Distribution Practice (GDP) requirements. “The quality management system in Italy is completely integrated into our European quality organisation”, confirmed Davide Valenti, the Pharmacist responsible for Arvato’s quality assurance in Italy.
The new distribution centre is also integrated into Arvato’s SAP-based IT infrastructure. “This allows us to guarantee manufacturers uniform processes, data security, and data transparency beyond national borders, which in turn reduces interfaces”, explained Carsten Thiemt, Director of Quality Assurance at Arvato Healthcare in Europe.
The distribution centre in Calcinate encompasses 13,500 sq m and was put into operation in 2006 by Arvato SCM Solutions. Until now it was exclusively used by the company’s Consumer Products business unit for e‑commerce and loyalty operations. The Healthcare business unit will use the new site to strengthen its European network and aim for further growth via integrated IT systems and a quality management system. The opening of a further international site in Alcalá, Spain will take place this autumn.
Source: Arvato
