Southwest Airlines Cargo and Quick Courier Case Study

by Case Studies on 2012-10-07 07:50:45

Quick International Courier is a full-service priority transportation and logistics provider, specializing in the transportation of life saving organs, blood and bone marrow for transplant and research, investigational drugs, medical implant devices, and critical parts to repair diagnostic equipment for the medical industry.

Quick’s Customers include pharmaceutical companies, research labs, hospitals and operating rooms in every city in the US, as well as the National Kidney Registry, who maintains a database of donors around the globe. The value of Quick’s life-saving cargo is immeasurable. To transport it efficiently, Quick has three primary requirements:

• Broad Reach: Quick’s Customers are spread out across every city in the US, and a comprehensive network that can reach them, in a moment’s notice, is required.

• Timeliness: Quick’s cargo must be ready for use the moment it is received—so “next flight out” options and a high frequency flight schedule are vital.

• Strict adherence to cold chain protocols.

Southwest Airlines Cargo® is one of Quick’s most trusted airline Partners. With 3,200 daily flights and the industry’s latest cargo tracking technology, Southwest is able to help Quick address the shipping requirements of its Customers.

According to Quick’s VP of Marketing, Marie Vigliarolo, “Southwest has been fantastic to work with. Our QA team works seamlessly with theirs to ensure that all protocols are followed, and Southwest’s cargo operation does whatever it takes to ensure that our shipments arrive on time, with integrity intact.”

“Asset tracking technology is critical to our business, and it’s something we take very seriously,” adds Vigliarolo. “We were one of the first companies to test the Southwest Cargo Companion, and we’re impressed with the depth and breadth of the data provided by the devices. Items such as light sensing, which identifies if and when a package has been opened, to location tracking, and temperature alerts are all key requirements.”

In the event of a breakage or temperature alert, Cargo Companion provides Quick with an early warning that is helpful to remedy the situation. “For every shipment, we need a plan B, and even a plan C,” adds Vigliarolo. “If a problem occurs during transit, then every second is precious and the technology buys us time to jumpstart a contingency plan. Southwest’s extensive network and high frequency flight schedule allows us to trust that the shipment will still arrive ontime.”

Through communications technology, it’s becoming easier to connect organ donors with recipients in need.

Research labs and pharmaceutical companies are also collaborating in ways that were not possible in the past.

As a result, the demand for transporting medical and pharmaceutical products is increasing sharply—and thankfully, Quick Courier and Southwest Airlines Cargo are making it easier to transport life-saving cargo in a safe, secure, and same day manner.

For more information on Quick International Courier, please visit: www.quick.aero/quickintl.