考虑到新冠肺炎疫情对世界的影响，我想可以说，在一个总是处于战争状态的国家长大是有好处的。在动荡的南非向民主过渡的过程中，我是一名士兵。由于我的经历，当一个行业即将发生变化、未来充满不确定性、能源和重型工作需求旺盛时，我就会受到召唤。我知道如何应对混乱和没有明确答案的情况。

我编写了非洲最早的一些电子商务网站，也亲眼目睹了大型企业推出的第一批全球内部网。我参与业务开发时，世界正从功能手机转向智能手机。我目睹了零售业的消亡和电子商务的诞生，电子商务从涓涓细流发展成为洪流。我亲眼目睹了出版业的衰落。

我人生的最新篇章让我再次陷入了另一个动荡之中，通过与 DeltaTrak 的合作，我重新进入了冷链管理领域。最初将我带入 DeltaTrak 领域的项目是我创办的一家名为 MOST 的公司。2013 年，我的兄弟是一家大型柑橘出口商，他需要一款当时市场上还没有的实时追踪器。在九个月内，我们使用现成的组件和开源软件构建了第一批原型。我们革命性的监视器是 M2M 远程信息处理领域首批物联网产品之一。

During a time that will undoubtedly be remembered as the greatest humanitarian crisis since World War II, logistics and supply chain experts are forced to develop new strategies for meeting the ever-increasing demand for shipping food, PPE and other products to consumers around the world. The impending mass distribution of COVID-19 vaccines will create yet another level of uncertainty, specifically in terms of transport (mainly air) and storage. As the air-cargo industry develops plans to ship an estimated 20 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses, the question everyone is asking is, “Are they ready?” Furthermore, are the dispensing locations ready to effectively manage storage of the vaccines once received?

When I was in business development in the publishing industry (2008/2009), I floated the idea that we should buy a mobile operator, because of my belief that content is only as strong as its distribution channel. And what better distribution channel than an operator and companion electronic devices? Where the COVID-19 vaccine is concerned, distribution will also be the key to it all – how to get it from manufacturer to healthcare provider to patient, while maintaining its effectiveness. This is where DeltaTrak comes in.

I am excited to be a part of the DeltaTrak team because, like me, they have been solving important problems for a long time. This team is well-equipped to manage the cold-chain challenges that will accompany distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines. Historically, anywhere from 5 to 20% of vaccines are rendered ineffective during transport, due to temperature excursions. The use of dry ice, thermal shipping containers, unique storage/transport temperature requirements and the sheer volume of doses, could cause the percentage of lost COVID vaccines to be significantly higher.

There is a lot at stake, both on a national and global level. However, it is at times of great challenge that opportunity arises. DeltaTrak’s history of innovation positions us to make a long-term contribution in the fight against Coronavirus. In anticipation of FDA vaccine approval, we developed multiple products to help manufacturers and healthcare providers bring peace to an anxious world. Three-in-one vaccine monitors have been designed to address customized temperature management profiles. Real-time tracking and cloud-based data storage enable stakeholders to receive alerts and share information, identifying temperature excursions during shipping, storage and dispensing. Coronavirus will pass, and humanity is resilient. Our solutions must be designed with the long-view in mind, and solution providers must be prepared for a world where more global health crises could be on the horizon. For more information on DeltaTrak’s COVID-19 temperature monitoring solutions, please reach out to me or one of my DeltaTrak colleagues.