logo
PL Developments Builds a Smarter, Healthier Supply Chain with Kinaxis

PL Developments Builds a Smarter, Healthier Supply Chain with Kinaxis

National Post5 days ago
Article content
Leading pharmaceuticals manufacturer will utilize AI-powered orchestration to accelerate delivery of essential health products
Article content
OTTAWA, Ontario — Kinaxis ® (TSX:KXS), a global leader in end-to-end supply chain orchestration, today announced that PL Developments (PLD), a leading manufacturer and distributer of over-the-counter pharmaceuticals and healthcare products, has selected the Kinaxis Maestro™ platform to meet growing demand from consumers and major U.S. retailer partners. By replacing manual tools and spreadsheets with AI-powered orchestration and predictive planning, PLD will accelerate the delivery of essential healthcare products with greater agility, accuracy and efficiency.
Article content
Specializing in end-to-end solutions from product development to distribution, PLD supplies some of the largest retailers in the U.S. including Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, Costco, Sam's Club and Target with health and wellness products in categories including analgesics, cough/cold, allergy and digestive. Due to market expansion and rapidly increasing consumer demand for accessible and affordable healthcare products, PLD needed to deliver to its retail partners with greater speed, accuracy and responsiveness. With manual planning tools and siloed decision-making, PLD was challenged by limited visibility across its operations leading to delayed order confirmations and high inventory levels.
Article content
To maintain its position as a trusted industry leader, PLD needed a next-generation supply chain platform to meet evolving customer expectations while continuing to deliver on the promise of quality at every step. After rigorous evaluation, Maestro stood out for its unmatched ability to unify data and provide real-time insights, enabling predictive planning to anticipate demand. Maestro allows PLD to optimize inventory, respond faster to market shifts and scale execution across every function of the business with fewer resources and greater supply chain visibility.
Article content
'Consumers expect fast access to trusted health and wellness products, and our retail partners need the inventory to match shifting demand,' s aid Thomas Crowe, chief supply chain officer at PL Developments. 'With Maestro, we can anticipate this demand, simulate scenarios, plan for market shifts and make confident, data-driven decisions in minutes. It's a game changer that empowers our team to deliver the innovation and products consumers rely on every single day and Kinaxis is now a key part of that innovation.'
Article content
'PLD is a prime example of a forward-thinking manufacturer embracing the speed and intelligence today's healthcare supply chains demand,' said Mark Morgan, president of global commercial operations at Kinaxis. 'With Maestro, they're not just replacing spreadsheets, they're unlocking real-time visibility, rapid execution and scalable decision making. We're proud to support PLD as they deliver the trusted healthcare products consumers rely on, faster and more efficiently than ever.'
Article content
About Kinaxis
Article content
Article content
Article content
Article content
Article content
Contacts
Article content
Media Relations
Article content
Article content
Erin Boyle | Kinaxis
Article content
Article content
Article content
Article content
Article content
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

What health experts are saying about Alberta's COVID-19 vaccination program
What health experts are saying about Alberta's COVID-19 vaccination program

CBC

time15 minutes ago

  • CBC

What health experts are saying about Alberta's COVID-19 vaccination program

Social Sharing Health experts, advocates and unions are sounding the alarm over Alberta's plan for paid COVID-19 shots, calling it concerning and confusing. On Monday, two months after the province announced it was adding a fee, it opened online pre-ordering for the vaccine. Albertans still need to book appointments for the shots, starting in October. Dr. James Talbot, the province's former chief medical officer of health, said the government appears to be doing everything it can to make this year's immunization campaign a "failure" by making it less available, less accessible and less affordable. "They are basically sabotaging their own COVID campaign," he said. He's among a chorus of critics warning it could lead to more hospitalizations and stress on the health-care system. Talbot and other public health experts and physicians penned an opinion piece in the Edmonton Journal last week, arguing the plan creates unfair barriers and puts Albertans at risk. "You've created this unfairness where if you're rich, you can get protected, but if you're poor, you may not be able to," Talbot said. Leigh Allard, president and CEO of Alberta Lung, part of the National Lung Health Alliance, said the government's policy makes it an extreme outlier and its precedent could ripple across the country. Those who suffer from lung conditions like asthma, cystic fibrosis or pulmonary fibrosis are vulnerable, she added. This year, Albertans also won't be able to walk into a pharmacy to get a COVID-19 shot, where the vast majority of doses were given last year. They must go to a public health clinic. Allard said people are confused over the plan. She's also concerned many won't be able to access a clinic for a shot, especially if hours aren't extended, or some simply won't be able to afford it. She said she expects an uptake in Alberta Lung's financial assistance programs. "As a charity, we should not be supplementing what the government should be doing." The government said it will still pay for some to get shots, including those who have compromised immune systems or are on social programs. Seniors in congregate settings will also be covered. However, the specifics of the qualifying health conditions have not been released. It's estimated a shot could cost $110, but the government has yet to pin down the price. Kyle Warner, spokesperson for Primary and Preventative Health Minister Adriana LaGrange, said details are forthcoming. "The fall immunization plan is being finalized, and details — including the updated vaccination schedule, eligible conditions, exact locations and administrative fee for COVID-19 vaccines — will be available soon," he said in a statement. Warner also said Albertans who don't pre-order by the Sept. 30 deadline can still book a vaccine appointment once doses become available. He said online pre-ordering helps determine future vaccine needs, minimize waste, manage delivery and prevent double bookings, since the influenza vaccine can be given at the same time. Those who pre-order are promised a reminder in October to book an appointment. The province said it has ordered 485,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine for the fall and some of the estimated $49-million cost would be covered through those who have to pay. The government didn't respond to questions about whether it has a contingency plan to order more doses if needed, whether out-of-province costs might be reimbursed, and what informed its decision to order 250,000 fewer doses than last year. It also didn't clarify whether flu shots, which remain free, would be available in pharmacies. The province's interim chief medical officer of health, Dr. Sunil Sookram, wasn't made available for an interview. Talbot called withholding the specifics disrespectful. "It's bad enough that there's a list that says you're going to ration it, but then to have confusion about who's on the list — that just seems cruel," he said. The province has said an estimated one million COVID-19 vaccine doses, or just over half of Alberta's supply, weren't used during the 2023-24 respiratory virus season. Premier Danielle Smith has said that meant $135 million was "flushed down the drain." Facing heated questions about the policy at a public town hall in Edmonton on Thursday, Smith said her United Conservative Party government is trying not to waste public money. "There are lots of different types of vaccines that are paid for out of pocket right now ... because the federal government defunded it," she said, pointing to shots for yellow fever, which also need to be purchased. The latest provincial data says 394 Albertans with confirmed COVID-19 have died since last August. Talbot and labour leaders have also said the plan puts health workers in harm's way, and potentially forces those in an already strained system to take sick time off work to avoid infecting others. "You're going to be the only province in the country that says we care so little about these people that we're going to force them to pay for their own vaccine," said Talbot. "It seems inconceivable to me that a rational mind would think that was a good way to recruit and retain health-care professionals." Unions warned this week of potential fallout. In a Tuesday letter to the premier, Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan wrote it would be a violation of workplace health and safety laws not to include all health workers, education workers, transit operators and those in the service sector on its priority list. McGowan said he's also hearing frustration and confusion from front-line members. "It's not just incompetence. This is clearly not a vaccine rollout strategy. It's a vaccine suppression strategy," he said. The United Nurses of Alberta has said the plan limits the freedom of Albertans to choose vaccination by intentionally limiting supply and penalizing those who can't afford it.

Large picket lines at Pearson Airport as Air Canada flight attendants defy Ottawa's back-to-work order
Large picket lines at Pearson Airport as Air Canada flight attendants defy Ottawa's back-to-work order

CTV News

time16 minutes ago

  • CTV News

Large picket lines at Pearson Airport as Air Canada flight attendants defy Ottawa's back-to-work order

CP24's Andrew Brennan with the latest details from the scene Large picket lines have erupted at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Sunday as the union representing Air Canada flight attendants says they will 'remain on strike' and defy Ottawa's back-to-work order. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) called the order 'unconstitutional' and urged Air Canada to return to the bargaining table to negotiate a 'fair deal.' The defiance comes hours after Air Canada announced plans to gradually resume flights on Sunday evening, signalling more days of turmoil ahead for travellers. As of 10:30 a.m. ET, hundreds of CUPE members gathered outside Toronto's Pearson Airport, waving signs and chanting, 'Hey, hey, ho, ho, unpaid work has got to go.' The picket lines underscored the union's demand for higher wages and compensation for unpaid time worked during ground delays — issues that CUPE says have been ignored through more than a decade of contracts. Back-to-work order 'ripped up' Speaking at the protest, Wesley Lesosky, president of the Air Canada Component of CUPE, confirmed that the union rejected the government's order. Wesley Lesosky Wesley Lesosky, president of the Air Canada Component of CUPE speaks to CP24 on Sunday August 17, 2025 (CP24 photo). 'I sent them back a video of it being ripped up,' he said, referring to the back-to-work order. He stressed that negotiations with Air Canada remain at a standstill until a contract is ratified, emphasizing the union's commitment to securing a collective agreement after eight months of bargaining. 'Air Canada needs to see that all these people are standing behind their union. Air Canada needs to understand that we need a collective agreement,' Lesosky said. 'Fully supported on all angles' Despite the risks of prolonging the strike and any potential ramifications, Lesosky insisted that members are united and CUPE's national leadership are firmly behind the walkout. 'CUPE National stepped up to the plate and fully support us here. So we feel fully supported on all angles, all avenues,' he said. This is a breaking news story, more details to come...

Lawyer insists foreign adversary is behind Canadian diplomats' Havana Syndrome
Lawyer insists foreign adversary is behind Canadian diplomats' Havana Syndrome

National Post

time16 minutes ago

  • National Post

Lawyer insists foreign adversary is behind Canadian diplomats' Havana Syndrome

Article content The Global Affairs report traces the various steps federal agencies have taken over the years in response to the illness complaints, including security, medical and environmental assessments. Article content A multi-agency Integrated National Security Enforcement Team, led by the RCMP, opened an investigation in June 2017. Article content Global Affairs and RCMP officials began travelling regularly to Cuba as part of the investigation to look at the possibility of malicious attacks, the report says. Canadian officials also shared information with foreign partners, including the United States. Article content In 2019, instruments designed to detect and capture evidence of acoustic and radiation surges, and to measure environmental effects — such as temperature, humidity, barometric pressure and ozone levels — were installed in the living quarters of Canadian staff in Havana. Article content 'The data collected from the instruments did not provide relevant and probative information to identify a cause for the symptoms,' the Global Affairs report says. 'As such, in 2022, the instruments were removed.' Article content Article content The integrated national security team concluded 'there was no criminality and no evidence attributing these health symptoms to a foreign actor,' the report adds. Article content 'In their conclusions, the RCMP and other domestic partner agencies assess that there is no known criminality, no known attribution for (unexplained health incidents) and no patterns related to symptoms, age, gender, location, or other variable.' Article content The U.S. intelligence community looked at possible evidence of a foreign adversary's involvement, the feasibility of tools that could cause the reported symptoms and whether medical analysis could help find answers. Article content A March 1, 2023, report from the U.S. National Intelligence Council said these lines of inquiry led most intelligence community agencies to conclude — with varying levels of confidence — that it was 'very unlikely' a foreign adversary was responsible for the health issues reported by American personnel. Article content Global Affairs, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the RCMP subsequently met to discuss the U.S. council's findings. Article content Article content The RCMP indicated that 'since no criminality was uncovered, its criminal investigation would be concluded,' and CSIS advised it also would be wrapping up its investigations for similar reasons, the Global Affairs report says. Article content Overall, the Canadian efforts 'have not uncovered a clear common cause of the symptoms experienced by government of Canada employees,' the report adds. 'Canada's findings are aligned with the conclusions of the United States on their various health studies and the security report published by the National Intelligence Council.' Article content Miller points to other research and testimony that challenge those findings. Article content Lawyer Mark Zaid, representing several U.S. personnel with symptoms, told a congressional hearing in May 2024 that there was intelligence, scientific and medical evidence substantiating the reports of anomalous health incidents, and that some were caused by a foreign adversary. Article content Zaid, who had authorized access to secret details, said he was convinced that 'the evidence that exists in the classified arena directly contradicts the public conclusions' provided by U.S. federal agencies about the cause of the health symptoms.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store