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The upcoming Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) Saleable Returns Verification deadline is prompting companies to look at their internal processes and operations to determine if—and how—they will be able to handle the volume of an estimated 60 million annual saleable returns verification requests beginning in November, 2019.
The second webinar of TraceLink’s Solving Saleable Returns series focused on the capabilities of a verification router service (VRS) that lie “below the surface” of basic request/response functionality. Choosing a Saleable Returns Solution: A Checklist for the 2019 Deadline detailed critical considerations when choosing a VRS, including network integrity and governance, EPCIS and master data exchange, and the importance of standards and interoperability.
Poll questions revealed that companies are beginning to understand the impact that saleable returns will have on their organizations:
Nearly 2 out of 3 companies recognize the need for more than just request/response capability.
While one-quarter of attendees said they were primarily interested in basic verification request and response functionality, more than 60% included secure data access, performance, and scalability in a more comprehensive list of VRS necessities. Concerns about unauthorized parties accessing sensitive data and the effect of high data volumes and delayed response times on operational efficiency were other noted decision drivers.
90% of companies are committed to the electronic exchange of master data and EPCIS data.
The vast majority of attendees see the value and necessity of moving away from exchanging data manually using email and spreadsheets and toward a uniform electronic data-sharing solution to ensure that product data is accurate and up to date. The anticipated volume of saleable returns—and their potential impact on operational efficiency—mean that manual, spreadsheet-based processes will no longer be a viable option for companies to exchange and manage verification data.
Most companies understand the importance of authenticating requestors.
Network governance was a central theme of the webinar: the assurance that all verification requests come from a legitimate business. Nearly half of those surveyed have—or plan to have—an automated method for ensuring the integrity of their direct and indirect trading partners. Just over a third had yet to consider how they will be able to determine if a request is from an unknown, possibly fraudulent, party.
TraceLink: The only fully integrated saleable returns solution.
TraceLink customers can leverage the proven performance of their serialization and compliance platforms to take the lead in meeting both DSCSA and trade partner requirements for fast, secure product verification. Only TraceLink delivers the sub-second VRS performance, EPCIS and master data exchange, and network governance that companies need in a single, integrated solution.
The webinar series, Solving Saleable Returns: Critical Steps Toward Meeting the Deadline, explores the technical and business decisions that manufacturers and wholesalers need to make to meet the 2019 DSCSA deadline, streamline business processes, and build stronger partner relationships. Learn more about upcoming and on-demand webinars.