Real-Time Monitoring and Data Analytics in Cold Chain Logistics

The following summarizes an expert panel discussion held during a Leading Mind seminar in Boston, hosted by ELPRO and Cold Chain Technologies. The session was moderated by Ross Blum, North America Cold Chain Business Unit Manager, ELPRO. Expert panelists included Steven Brophy, Senior Manager Logistics Engineering, Moderna; Luis Hernandez, Director of Logistics, Vertex Pharmaceuticals; Josh Medow, CEO, Mercury; and Anik Warner, Senior Manager, Cold Chain Operations, Johnson & Johnson

The session opened with the recognition that many pharmaceutical and supply chain logistics leaders today are grappling with visibility gaps, delayed shipments, and costly temperature excursions. Organizations are increasingly tasked with building “control towers” or centralized, real-time visibility platforms that not only track shipments but also enable proactive intervention and continuous improvement.

The panel identified four pillars of success:

• Laying the foundation – aligning internal stakeholders and defining goals
• Figuring out the data for decisions – determining what to monitor and why
• Making use of data for continuous improvement – turning visibility into action
• Actions for intervention – responding in real time to prevent losses

Infrastructure for Visibility
Steven Brophy (Moderna) emphasized that successful visibility programs rest on three core elements:

• Device: sensors and loggers that capture real-time temperature and location data

• Carrier: the logistics provider transporting sensitive goods

• Platform: the visualization tool or “control tower” that integrates and displays shipment information

He noted that these three components must operate in harmony, yet many organizations overemphasize the control tower software while underestimating the complexity of device and carrier integration.

Brophy highlighted the difficulty of device selection. The market is fragmented, with consolidation, new entrants lacking validation capabilities, and hardware overlap that creates confusion. The real differentiator is partnership: manufacturers must not only meet technical requirements (e.g., temperature ranges, airline certifications, validation readiness) but also share deeper datasets beyond what is visible on their own platforms.

 “You can't just address one of the elements [device, carrier, or platform]. All three need to be working in harmony with your team and company continuously to bring reliable network visibility.” Steven Brophy, Moderna

The same principle applies to carriers, many of whom seek to monetize data and charge for integration. Brophy stressed that true success depends on four-way collaboration among device providers, carriers, visibility platform vendors, and internal teams. Without alignment across all parties, visibility initiatives stall.

Integration and Customer Alignment

Josh Medow (Mercury) shared the logistics provider perspective. Mercury built its own internal tracking platform to consolidate courier scans, flight data, and customs documents, creating a central repository for shipment visibility. Medow also invested in a 24/7 monitoring team, recognizing that proactive surveillance reduces time spent resolving crises later. 

 “More data isn’t always better. If it doesn’t drive smarter decisions, it’s just noise.”
Josh Medow, Mercury 

Integration with customer systems remains a hurdle. While APIs exist, many pharmaceutical companies are not ready for full digital connectivity, so notifications often default to email or SMS. The challenge is balancing the right amount of information—too many alerts overwhelm customers, while too few reduce the value of real-time visibility.

The lesson: technology is only as effective as customer adoption. Providers must customize notification flows and escalation paths to the capabilities and needs of each partner.

Internal Alignment and Data Foundations

Anik Warner (Johnson & Johnson) underscored that data quality is the foundation. Without accurate, connected data, visibility programs risk becoming “garbage in, garbage out.” Large global companies often face siloed systems that don’t communicate, creating roadblocks to true end-to-end visibility.

 “Leaders who remember the human dimension — the patient at the end of the chain — make better decisions.” Anik Warner, Johnson & Johnson 

She explained that success therefore begins with leadership alignment across operations, quality, and logistics functions. Once alignment is achieved, resources and project management discipline are needed to sustain momentum. Warner’s key point: without good data and adequate resourcing, even well-designed visibility initiatives are destined to fail.

Internal and External Challenges

Luis Hernandez (Vertex Pharmaceuticals) categorized challenges into internal and external dimensions.

Internal: Building the IT infrastructure to centralize data from carriers, devices, and product systems. Corporate IT teams often act as gatekeepers, limiting data sharing to protect security. This makes it difficult to integrate information into a single control tower.

External: Linking IoT devices reliably to the specific products being shipped remains surprisingly difficult. Device reliability and real-time consistency also remain pain points. Blind spots in coverage undermine confidence, and newer devices have yet to prove stability at scale.

To overcome these, Hernandez stressed the need for robust structures and stronger collaboration with carriers and manufacturers.

Deciding What to Monitor

Visibility cannot be universal; organizations must prioritize. Hernandez described Vertex’s approach:

• Raw materials: identify and monitor the most critical or scarce inputs with long lead times or limited stability data.

• Intermediates: focus on those requiring lengthy or complex manufacturing steps.

• Finished goods: apply differentiated monitoring: stable small molecules need less intensive oversight, while fragile cell and gene therapies demand real-time interventions.

This tiered approach ensures resources are allocated where the risks—and potential consequences—are greatest.

Evolving Customer Expectations

According to Medow, customer expectations have shifted due to consumer apps like Amazon and Uber. Stakeholders now expect end-to-end traceability, from pickup to delivery, with historical data available on demand. While not every shipment requires live GPS tracking, the baseline expectation is full transparency. 

“We don’t want our teams reacting to every blip and missing the true risks.”  
Luis Hernandez, Vertex Pharmaceuticals 

 

The challenge lies in distinguishing “nice-to-have” data from “actionable” data. Too many alerts create noise. Instead, organizations must identify triggers that drive intervention—e.g., a temperature spike that signals immediate risk, versus data that is useful for long-term trend analysis.

Warner emphasized the importance of engaging end users, such as operators, to define which alerts warrant escalation. This human-centered approach ensures that real-time monitoring empowers proactive intervention rather than overwhelming teams.

From Monitoring to Continuous Improvement

With foundations in place, the panel turned to using data for continuous improvement.

Brophy explained Moderna’s approach: leveraging consolidated data for network design and planning. By comparing shipper and device performance across lanes, Moderna identifies best practices and expands successful solutions to other markets. Data enables the ability to diversify carriers, devices, or shipping lanes based on evidence, not assumptions.

The transition from reactive monitoring to strategic planning marks a critical inflection point in cold chain visibility. Control towers are no longer just about preventing losses; they are tools for network optimization and innovation.

Key Takeaways
Several insights emerged consistently during the discussion:

Partnership is the differentiator. Successful visibility programs depend less on technology and more on collaborative relationships among device makers, carriers, platform providers, and shippers.

Data quality is foundational. Without clean, connected, and validated data, visibility initiatives collapse. Integration across siloed systems remains a top challenge.

Customer alignment is critical. Technology adoption must be tailored to each customer’s capabilities and needs. The balance of information flow—too little vs. too much—can make or break a program.

Prioritization matters. Not all shipments or products require real-time monitoring. Organizations must apply resources strategically to the most critical materials, intermediates, and therapies.

Expectations are rising. Consumer experiences have reshaped professional expectations. Visibility is no longer optional; it is becoming the default.

Visibility enables strategy. Beyond operational crisis management, consolidated data empowers network redesign, risk diversification, and long-term supply chain innovation.

Challenges for the Future
Looking ahead, the panel identified several pressing challenges:

1. Device reliability and validation. Emerging IoT devices must demonstrate consistency, validation readiness, and regulatory compliance across global lanes.
2. Data integration. Bridging fragmented IT systems within large organizations remains a barrier. Achieving seamless interoperability will require new standards and governance models.
3. Commercial models. Some carriers seek to monetize data, creating friction in partnerships. Industry alignment on fair and transparent data-sharing models is essential.
4. Noise vs. actionability. As data volume grows, companies must refine alert systems to prioritize actionable interventions over background noise.
5. Scaling resources. Visibility programs require sustained leadership support, dedicated resources, and project management discipline. These elements are often underfunded or underestimated.
6. Global blind spots. Coverage gaps in certain geographies limit the universality of real-time monitoring, posing risks for global therapies.

Conclusion

The panel painted a picture of an industry in transition. Real-time monitoring and data analytics are no longer futuristic concepts; they are becoming baseline expectations in pharmaceutical logistics. Yet technology alone will not solve visibility challenges. Success depends on collaboration, prioritization, and data discipline.

“If we keep the patient at the center, the rest will follow.”  
Ross Blum, ELPRO

As companies evolve from simply tracking shipments to redesigning supply networks with evidence-based insights, the stakes grow higher. The next phase of cold chain visibility will not just prevent losses, it will reshape how medicines and therapies are manufactured, distributed, and delivered worldwide.