Everest Biotech’s Distribution Challenge Met by LifeScience Logistics

By LifeScience Logistics

Client ChallengeHow does a small biotech firm based in the UK and manufacturing in Nepal offer next day service to its U.S. client base?

Founded in 2000 by a group of biochemists at the University of Oxford, Everest Biotech manufactures and distributes high-quality novel antibodies for the research market, with a particular focus on human disease research. Manufacturing is located in Kathmandu, Nepal, while product design, sales, and distribution are based in Oxfordshire, UK.

The current catalogue lists more than 1500 antibodies, and approximately 45 new products are being added each month. Initially products were sold through re-branding vendors. But in 2005 it became possible to sell direct to customers in the United States under the Everest Biotech brand. Advantages for the customer would include faster delivery times, quicker and better informed technical support, and lower prices. In order to offer customers in the U.S. the same quick and reliable service available to customers elsewhere, however, it would be necessary to maintain sufficient stocks of all the products within the U.S. to enable overnight delivery and avoid potential customs delays. Owing to the perishable nature of the products, it was vital to find a logistics partner able to receive and store products at -20 ˚ C, ship to customers quickly and reliably using cold packs, and manage variations in lots across the catalogue .

Given the large initial size and rapid growth of the catalogue, it was also important to find a partner with sufficient storage capacity to accommodate future growth and an IT platform that could process a large number of SKUs quickly and accurately.

Solution

Outsource U.S. distribution and keep the entire catalogue on hand in the U.S. with LifeScience Logistics. Based in the U.S., LifeScience Logistics is able, under permit from the USDA, to import in bulk, thereby reducing transportation costs and avoiding customs delays, while allowing Everest Biotech's U.S. clients to order from a U.S. entity. LSL’s warehouse management software allows Everest to track their inventory, plan replenishments and take orders remotely. LSL’s Louisville, Kentucky, facility was selected as the single point of distribution. Its strategic geographic location, in close proximity to UPS’s all-points U.S. hub, made it an ideal location for cold-chain distribution. Orders are processed the same day, and Everest Biotech’s clients anywhere in the U.S. are guaranteed delivery the following morning.

Results

Everest Biotech is able to offer next day delivery in the U.S. Sales double in three months. Thanks to LSL’s providing a solution that delivers next-morning delivery to U.S. clients, Everest Biotech has streamlined the customer acquisition process and quickly established their brand in the U.S. research market. “Our successful partnership with LifeScience Logistics has allowed us to double direct sales of our own brand in three months,” reports Dr. Claire Thompson, Marketing Manager for Everest Biotech. “We are extremely satisfied with the professional service that LSL provided.” In addition to significant revenue gains, order and inventory accuracy have been 100%. As a result of increased sales volume, Everest plans to add a call center to its package of LSL services.

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