In pharma, every missing sample isn’t just lost stock — it’s a breach in traceability. One gap in the record can put compliance, credibility, and care at risk. With end‑to‑end digital tracking, every sample’s journey is visible, verifiable, and fully compliant. Sample distribution to Health Care Professionals (HCP) is an important part of brand marketing. Many pharma companies have a traditional approach to sample distribution with no track of the samples, and the process of distribution is handled manually. With a lack of sample acknowledgement, the whereabouts of the sample are not known. Whether samples are received by sales reps or delivered to the HCP is difficult to find out in the manual tracking process.
Why Manual Sample Acknowledgement Fails
● Manual processes for acknowledging samples can lead to delays, human errors, and
a lack of accountability. Mismanagement of sample tracking processes can disrupt
the supply flow, often needing back-and-forth emails, phone calls, or physical sign-
offs, causing delay across teams.
● Human errors like incorrect quantities and unlogged receipts can quickly accumulate
as there are no central records available, leading to questions about accountability in
the process.
● When inventory mismatches occur, they potentially lead to over-promising or under-
supplying customers.
● As the pharma industry is a highly regulated market, sample handling has compliance
requirements. With manual tracking, audit trails are impossible with paper or email-
based acknowledgement, which can put the organisation at compliance risk.
The Digital Evolution of Sample Tracking
When sample tracking is no longer done with manual inputs and is replaced by digital tools,
the process becomes a lot easier and convenient.
● It allows instant acknowledgement of the sample request. It enables sample
dispatches from head office to sales reps.
● It verifies the SKU requested to ensure product correctness. Sales reps get instant
notification with tracking details. With a few clicks, sample receipt can be confirmed,
and in case of discrepancy, sales reps can upload photos and notify in the system
directly. Real-time discrepancy reporting allows immediate corrective action. It
ensures only authorised personnel can modify records.
● With automated tracking, centralised data, and easy reporting, organisations can
ensure transparent, accurate, and timely sample management.
Benefits of Sample Acknowledgement System
● Speed: Digital process completes in seconds, while manual can take hours and days.
● Accuracy: Sample quantity and SKUs are validated automatically, while manual
processes can be prone to errors.
● Visibility: Digital process is centralised and can be viewed with real-time dashboards,
while manual data could be fragmented or siloed.
● Compliance: Digital process is comprehensive, with time-stamped logs; it ensures
compliance, while manual process could lead to weak audit trails.
● Scalability: Digital processes can scale effortlessly with growing business; however,
with manual processes, it is difficult to manage large volumes of samples.
● User-friendly: Digital process is user-friendly, and data can be fed to the system with
a mobile app; manual process is more tedious and not so user-friendly.
Switching from Manual to Digital System
Manual tracking involves a lot of effort and human interventions with possible chances of errors. If the sample acknowledgement process is faulty, it can create a negative impact on the brand when samples are not received by HCPs. Automation brings consistency and accuracy to sample tracking. It assures delivery of the samples to the respective HCPs. Sales reps can easily access the tool in mobile apps, and it can be integrated with the Daily Call Reporting module or ERP. Switching to digital processes will be cost-saving, reliable, and compliance-friendly for pharmaceutical organisations.
Efficient Sample Acknowledgement: Simplified, Streamlined, and Secured
Keacyte’s sample acknowledgement module ensures transparent and efficient tracking of
sample dispatches from head office to field teams.
● Medical reps receive instant notification with tracking details and verify received
SKUs against dispatch records.
● It can capture receipt confirmation and report discrepancies. Reps can track, upload,
and manage sample inventory effortlessly with dynamic updates, team-wise controls,
and quick Excel uploads.
● It enables the distribution chain from request to delivery with intelligent, customer-
connected distribution.
● Its features include centralised uploads, role-based controls, Excel integration, and
automated discrepancy reporting.
● With end-to-end visibility and admin controls, Keacyte simplifies sample logistics for
maximum efficiency.
● It is integrated with the DCR, so all samples logged are reflected in daily call
reporting and inventory balance.
● Detailed reports are available to analyse distribution patterns, frequency, and
compliance.
A pharma customer success story of sample acknowledgement application by Keacyte helped to streamline the end-to-end sample management process. It effectively supported sample handling and smoothly integrated with ERP to ensure parallel updates across systems.
Conclusion
Pharma companies cannot approach sample management processes manually as it costs
money and time and is not compliant.
Switching to a Digital Sample Acknowledgement application supports the tracking of the
samples and can be handled by sales reps with ease.
Moving to digital acknowledgement is a strategic shift that aligns with modern supply chain
best practices.
With proven solutions like Keacyte, pharmaceutical companies can turn sample
management into a competitive advantage — transparent, traceable, and effortlessly
scalable.