A survey into the key labeling challenges for the medical device and life sciences industries in 2015, has identified regulatory compliance and supply chain efficiency as the key drivers for organisations needing to change or adapt their packaging and labeling operations.
The survey, carried out by Prisym ID (www.prisymid.com), provider of turnkey labeling solutions for the medical device and life sciences industries, identified regulatory compliance, global standardisation of labeling processes and managing label changes as the three most important challenges for the coming 12 months. With Class II UDI regulations requiring compliance in 2015 and 2016, it’s no surprise that this continues to be a priority for many companies.
More than 60% of those companies surveyed cited the labeling of products as ‘business critical’ to the supply chain and their organisation. Maintaining an efficient supply chain is widely acknowledged as a key strategic imperative for businesses across the global medical and life science sectors. Companies are under intense pressure to reduce costs, curb wastage and increase productivity – and to develop more agile operations that can respond to changes in the global marketplace. Around 70% of companies suggested that they would need to make changes to existing operations in order to meet the regulatory demands.
Perhaps more concerning however is that around 40% of those organizations surveyed were either not confident or unsure as to whether their existing labeling process were sufficient, which suggests there is still some work to be done in order to control these issues.
Warren Ward-Stacey, sales director at Prisym ID commented: “With the recent changes in regulatory compliance – particularly UDI – it is not surprising that this is still high on the agenda for many organisations. However, organisations should feel more confident in their systems and processes, and with increased market changes and a competitive landscape, this is something that must be addressed now.”