How RRD supported Siemens Healthineers to deliver rapid testing

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company (RRD), a provider of marketing, packaging, print, and supply chain solutions, supported Siemens Healthineers to accelerate the delivery of rapid COVID-19 antigen self-tests to the U.S. market. 

RRD, a Chicago-based company that helps medical device clients optimise their supply chain, leveraged its ISO 13485 accredited facilities and ability to scale quickly to facilitate Siemens Healthineers’ time-sensitive project.

Amid the peak of the COVID-19 Omicron variant outbreak in January 2022, Siemens Healthineers made tens of millions of tests available to the U.S. population through state, federal, and local partnership efforts. The companysought to expand its warehouse space to meet growing demand to help accommodate the massive volumes of product. Siemens Healthineers collaborated with RRD, who had the ability, experience, and flexibility to upscale with uncertain demand. 

Joerg Berner, acting head of point of care diagnostics at Siemens Healthineers, said: “It was critical to find a supplemental supply chain and warehouse solution that could help us supply high-quality test kits that would provide accurate COVID-19 results to the U.S. population. RRD’s ability to flex and adapt to changing demand helped address some of these needs.”

RRD used its supply chain expertise and its fulfilment capabilities to help Siemens Healthineers meet increasing market demand. RRD was responsible for the additional scale, inbound receipt, inspection, warehousing, labelling, fulfilment, and logistics of COVID-19 tests. The two teams addressed challenges by scrutinising various factors in the production process, working in lockstep, and maintaining superior communication.

John Pecaric, head of operations at RRD, said: “Dealing with an already volatile global supply chain and rapidly surging COVID-19 case levels, it was a race against the clock to bring these test kits to market efficiently. We’re honoured to support Siemens Healthineers in its mission to bring their COVID-19 tests to the U.S. market in a short period of time. Our quality assurance, regulatory expertise, and IT capabilities supported the standards that Siemens Healthineers is renowned for across the globe.”