Drug retailers should automate drug store operations through embracing cloud based online technology like Tarnea SmartMile to counter the onslaught of challenges faced in the form of online pharmacies and abrupt stock-outs.  

These were the thoughts shared at an event in Mumbai organized by the Andheri Chemists Welfare Association (ACWA) to unveil Tarnea SmartMile software developed by Bengaluru based technology company Tarnea Technology Solutions Ltd.

Hakim Kapase, president, ACWA added, “Small pharmacy owners are struggling to compete with the big pharmacy retail chains, have been facing threat from online pharmacies in the form of deep discounts offered by them and low margins for generics available in the market.”

Having been launched in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Tarnea SmartMile aims at automating and connecting the entire drug supply chain which is often mired by challenges like short shipment from distributor leading to stock out, missed sales and customer dissatisfaction. As of date, it has has served more than 27.5 lakh end customers.

With Tarnea SmartMile technology, SMS, email alerts and detailed analytics are given to facilitate better control and decision making of all operations. It enables retailers to take control of multiple shops across the city, manage business on the move with access on sales and inventory data 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Tarnea Technology Solutions Ltd is one of the top 0.5% ventures in the world and was selected into the Startup Accelerator programme of Microsoft

The platform is a significant breakthrough because 94 percent of the sales is happening through small time retailers and pharma retail business is facing a situation where it has limited visibilities to the last mile which translate to supply chain inefficiencies.

Tarnea SmartMile is a cloud based platform for pharmacies to run their business and opens up new possibilities for traditional brick-and-mortar pharmacies to use the revolution in Internet and mobile to their advantage.

Premal Mehta, Secretary of Andheri Chemist Welfare Association (ACWA) said, “With the Tarnea SmartMile platform, pharmacies can engage with their customers, establish their online presence, streamline all the pharmacy functions.

On the occasion, Pravin B Mundhadha, Assistant Commissioner, Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) appealed to all the chemists to embrace and integrate latest technologies in pharma supply chain which will help them manage their drug retail operations efficiently and complement their compliance to the regulations.

Premal Mehta drew attention to how technology and the Internet are changing the nature of all businesses. With an eye on the entry of online pharmacies and e-commerce, he urged all pharmacists to get equipped with technologies that can grow and drive their business. Getting their stores on the cloud would be a great way to automate store operations and connect with the larger ecosystem.

On the sidelines of the event, Suresh Satyamurthy, developer of the platform and CEO of Tarnea said, “It is time to get pharmacies connected with their customers and suppliers using the Tarnea SmartMile platform.”  

Echoing similar views Madhav Sitaraman, CTO of Tarnea explained, “It is not just a Point of Sale solution for billing, it is a new way of doing business, both online and offline. It works on both traditional desktops and android devices. It is appropriate for all kinds of pharmacies whether a hospital embedded pharmacy or on the street, and of any size. Being on the cloud it can be used even from your home and you will never lose your data.”

Elaborating on the benefits of technology in their business, Mehta said, “As a pharmacy owner, it helps keep complete track of the pharmacy operation, visibility to all inventory, minimize instances of lost sales because of no stock availability, track daily sales, purchases, sales returns and stock adjustments, view past customer order history and make instant on the spot purchase recommendations, track sales and purchase of Schedule H items.