Jaw-dropping, Awesome Vaccine Supply Chain Management

I am so impressed. I just got my second Covid vaccine. I scheduled both the first and second appointments online with no wait and at the appointed time I drove to the nearby vaccination location in Silicon Valley. There was no line. I filled out a form, showed my insurance card, and was escorted to a vaccination station, got my shot, waited 15 minutes, posted a photo on Facebook, and left. The whole process took less than a half-hour. It was very well organized, and stress-free. I am seeing postings from my friends all across the country who had similar experiences.

Walking back to my car after the second easy-peasy experience, I was so proud of my peers - the magnificent American supply chain professionals who made this all happen.

Let’s start with manufacturing. As companies such as Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson awaited approval by the FDA, behind the scenes, manufacturing professionals were gearing up production lines in volumes never before experienced. But it wasn’t as simple as just scheduling more production time. Production lines had to be reconfigured to handle the new vaccine. Behind the scenes, planners and schedulers were determining what components they needed in what quantities, to arrive at the right time for production – not too much to clog up the line and not too little to halt production. Purchasing people were working around the clock to place orders for enormous quantities of ingredients.

Then there were the purchasing professionals who ordered the vials, packaging, and shipping containers that were temperature-controlled to protect the precious cargo - again scheduling just the right amount of supplies at just the right time, all the while paying attention to cost factors.

When Johnson & Johnson was seeking approval for their vaccine, the Biden administration worked with J&J’s competitor, Merck, to make manufacturing facilities available to J&J - a first in this very competitive industry. Merck repurposed some of its existing facilities for rapid large-scale manufacturing of the J&J vaccine.

Once the vaccines were manufactured, they had to be transported to the distribution centers and kept at extremely low temperatures, following CDC’s strict guidelines. Once again supply chain pros stepped up to the challenge. FedEx, UPS, DHL and several airlines collaborated and practiced how they should and would handle the vaccine to flawlessly execute the plan and deliver the cold cargo to distribution points.

Meanwhile, back in Washington, talented supply chain project managers were coordinating with state and local governments to get the vaccines to healthcare facilities, stadiums, drug stores, and other distribution points. Governments and health care companies staffed up to handle the volume.

Finally, the distribution of the vaccines to the American people required sophisticated organization of buildings, parking lots, signage, shot-givers, and helpers. This coordinated distribution is also a supply chain function.

It feels like a Symphony orchestra playing Bach or Mozart. The sound is coordinated and wonderful, and the effect is emotional and uplifting. These results are completely dependent on each musician playing their part at just the right time and tempo and volume to assure a beautiful result. The supply chain of vaccine distribution is a symphony of coordinated parts with the same wonderful uplifting goal.

In the end, it is all working beautifully. I am enormously proud of my supply chain colleagues and friends.

Bravo American supply chain professionals who made this all happen. The nation is grateful. You are rock stars!

SC
MR