UPS redefines critical package delivery experience with launch of UPS Premier in Hong Kong
Next-generation tracking technology features an exclusive sensor that enables near real-time physical visibility and ‘first-in first-off' prioritisation throughout the UPS network
UPS Healthcare has recently announced that UPS Premier, its highly specialised, best-in-class shipping service combining a new level of tracking, prioritization, and recovery for patient-critical, time- and temperature-sensitive shipments is now available to customers in Hong Kong.
“Visibility and traceability are essential to prioritizing the life-saving medications our customers' ship and their customers need,” said UPS Healthcare President Wes Wheeler. “The difference between life and death for patients often hinges on the ability to quickly ship and precisely track, monitor and locate medications.”
“Over the past couple of years, UPS Premier has already helped enable the delivery of hundreds of millions of COVID-19 vaccines around the world with near-perfect on-time delivery. We’re excited to be adding another industry-leading service to the wide range of products and solutions available to UPS customers in Hong Kong,” added Wheeler.
Of the three levels in the UPS Premier service portfolio available globally, UPS Premier Gold is now available in Hong Kong. UPS Premier Gold offers acceleration and ‘first-in first-off’ prioritization, and near real-time monitoring made possible through state-of-the-art proprietary mesh sensors built into the package labeling to narrow visibility down to three meters within the UPS network.
Other benefits include an expedited package recovery process that allows the shipper to configure specific handling instructions should an intervention be required, plus capacity for same-day re-delivery. UPS Premier provides temperature-controlled shipping in environments spanning ambient to frozen, depending on specific shipment requirements.
The entire process is overseen 24/7 by live agents with intimate knowledge of the shipment’s requirements ensuring medications remain compliant, preventing spoilage and loss of product, and reducing costs associated with reshipments.
“According to recent research by Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Hong Kong is currently Asia's largest and the world's second-largest fundraising hub for biotechnology. With support from government initiatives, the city attracts many ground-breaking healthcare companies and innovations, many of which have highly specialized logistical requirements,” said Lauren Zhao, managing director of Hong Kong and Macau.
“What’s more, there’s often a patient relying on us for these deliveries, so the customer experience is vital. UPS Premier combines visibility, traceability, control, recovery, and international brokerage prioritization into one service for the first time, setting a new standard in what is possible for the critical logistics industry, and taking that customer experience to a whole new level.”
The global market for biologic therapeutic drugs is expected to grow in value from $285.5 billion in 2020 to $421.8 billion by 20252. This growth is mirrored in the Asia Pacific, where the biologics market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 9.2% from 2020 to 2026, accelerated by factors such as the increase in biologics therapy 3. Hence, innovations in biologics, specialty pharmaceuticals, and medications genetically personalised for each patient's needs are driving significant demand for precision logistics to support more patient-critical, time- and temperature-sensitive products.
Critical healthcare packages that utilize UPS Premier Gold typically include tissue samples, biopsies, implantable medical devices for scheduled surgeries, and personally formulated medications.
