Pharmaceutical, healthcare, and life science companies face mounting pressure from evolving regulatory requirements, rising fulfillment costs, and intensifying accuracy demands. In this environment, automation isn’t optional—it’s essential. Designed Conveyor Systems (DCS) helps distributors of these critical products stay compliant and competitive. Let DCS design a scalable, high-accuracy material handling solution to enhance regulatory traceability, increase fulfillment speed, and drive cost efficiency across every channel.
Package Handling
DCS’s design and engineering team has more than 40 years of experience creating unique parcel handling systems for diverse customer applications. With installations including semi-automated handling in small city distribution centers and fully automated, integrated hubs with advanced conveyor and sorter equipment, DCS routinely thinks outside the box.
E-Commerce and Multi-Channel Fulfillment
DCS designs and implements end-to-end warehouse automation solutions for e-commerce and multi-channel retailers that address numerous workflow challenges. This includes solutions for receiving, putaway, storage, replenishment, order fulfillment, picking, packing, sortation, and outbound shipping. Our custom integrated warehouse, distribution, and fulfillment systems draw from a deep pool of conventional, semi-automated, and automated material handling technologies.
Various Distribution Applications
Whether an operation is considering the construction of a new distribution or fulfillment center, or a retrofit or expansion of an existing facility, it’s important to create a solution that fits the overarching supply chain strategy. DCS has four decades of experience designing and integrating comprehensive, end-to-end material handling solutions that meet a multitude of operational goals. Whether conventional, semi-automated, or fully automated, DCS can help your organization implement a custom solution that meets its goals while maximizing return on investment (ROI).
Supply Chain Consulting
The DCS Supply Chain Consulting team offers a range of services to help your operations address the challenges it faces. Working in partnership with you, DCS consultants analyze your business data- existing workforce, workflow processes, inventory, order data, operations, and more- to determine a strategy that addresses your unique needs. Whether you need an operations assessment, process improvement recommendations, or distribution design services, DCS consultants will help guide you to the material handling system or operational solution that best meets your current and future needs, as well as your budget.
Customer Support
Keeping your warehouse operations and material handling systems running smoothly and at the peak of productivity are the goals of DCS’ Customer Service Team. By partnering with DCS, your warehouse automation solution is supported from commissioning to end of life. You’ll receive comprehensive in-house training of your personnel, including specialized training of your designated internal system expert. Plus, DCS offers a complete package of spare parts and expert system troubleshooting support from qualified engineers dedicated to your installation.
System Design & Integration
DCS offers a broad range of material handling equipment and automated system design, installation, and integration services for a multitude of projects. These include retrofits, expansions, upgrades, and more. While every project is unique, our system design and execution processes are the same, encompassing meticulous attention to detail, frequent communication, and a dedicated partnership with our clients.
Lifecycle Services
Stop reactive repairs. Lifecycle Services provides expert preventive maintenance and 24/7 technical support to protect your automation and MHE availability.
Life Science & Healthcare
Pharmaceutical, healthcare, and life science companies face mounting pressure from evolving regulatory requirements, rising fulfillment costs, and intensifying accuracy demands. In this environment, automation isn’t optional—it’s essential. Designed Conveyor Systems (DCS) helps distributors of these critical products stay compliant and competitive.
Pet Food
Pet food distribution operations are anything but standard. From bulky kibble bags to delicate fish tanks, stock keeping unit (SKU) complexity and fulfillment pressure are always on the rise. Designed Conveyor Systems (DCS) partners with leading pet retailers to design and engineer automation, software, and material handling systems that keep operations agile, accurate, and ready for what’s next.
Home Improvement
When your distribution center handles everything from hammers to hot tubs, operational complexity isn’t a challenge—it’s your daily reality. Home improvement retailers face intense pressure to meet rising consumer expectations across multiple channels—from in-store pickups to last-mile delivery. At Designed Conveyor Systems (DCS), we specialize in engineering material handling and automation solutions that help home improvement distribution centers keep pace, reduce cost, and drive accuracy at scale.
Sporting Goods
Navigating the unique demands of the sporting goods retail industry requires a distribution strategy that’s both agile and precise. From handling seasonal surges to managing a diverse range of products—from bulky equipment to small accessories—your warehouse operations are the key to a seamless customer experience. Our expertise helps sporting goods retailers streamline their distribution warehouses, improving order accuracy, boosting productivity, and ensuring your team can efficiently move products from the receiving dock to the final customer, no matter the season.
Footwear
In the fast-paced world of footwear retail requires a distribution strategy that can handle a vast array of styles, sizes, and seasonal trends with precision and speed. From managing a high volume of SKUs to ensuring accurate order fulfillment and returns processing, your distribution center is the engine that drives customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. Our expertise helps footwear retailers streamline their distribution centers, improving inventory management, accelerating order processing, and ensuring your team can efficiently move products from the receiving dock to the final customer, no matter the season.
Wholesale & Industrial Distribution
Designed Conveyor Systems (DCS) partners with wholesale, industrial, and electronics distributors to design efficient, optimized fulfillment solutions. Every operation DCS designs streamlines end-to-end functional processes—from inbound receiving and putaway to picking, packing, and shipping. Designed Conveyor Systems (DCS) partners with wholesale, industrial, and electronics distributors to design efficient, optimized fulfillment solutions. Every operation DCS designs streamlines end-to-end functional processes—from inbound receiving and putaway to picking, packing, and shipping.
About Us
Designed Conveyor Systems (DCS) has 40 years of experience serving major clients in multiple industries by providing material handling, full-scale warehouse operations, and conveyor design solutions that are custom crafted for their needs. DCS does not sell ready-made conveyor systems but builds relationships that empower collaboration to craft custom warehouse designs together. DCS utilizes consulting, engineering design, project management, installation services, and client support to ensure our customers can keep their promises to deliver on time.
Projects
With more than 40 years of experience providing automated system design, installation, and integration services, DCS has created solutions for companies throughout the United States in a broad range of industries and markets. We’ve completed more than 1500 projects ranging from greenfield facilities with completely new systems to expansions and retrofits of existing operations.
Upcoming Events
Designed Conveyor Systems values building strong relationships with our clients. Join us at our upcoming events to collaborate and discover how we can design a custom warehouse solution tailored to your unique needs.
Life Science & Healthcare Distribution
DCS Streamlines Compliance and Accuracy for Life Science Distribution
Life Science & Healthcare Distribution
Life Science & Healthcare Fulfillment Solutions
DCS delivers automated material handling systems and software to manufacturers and distributors of:
Pharmaceuticals and biologics
Supplements
Healthcare products
Medical devices
Medical supplies
Challenges Facing Life Science & Healthcare Distribution
Stringent Compliance Requirements
Life sciences distributors must comply with stringent regulatory standards—including FDA protocols and the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA)—to ensure safety, traceability, and accountability at every step. DCS’ deploys automated systems and software that support lot-level tracking, serialization, and seamless recall processes while enabling accurate recordkeeping and audit readiness.
Temperature-Controlled Storage and Handling
Many pharmaceuticals, biologics, and lab specimens require precise climate control during storage and transport. Maintaining proper temperature and humidity levels is critical not only for product integrity but also for compliance. Let DCS design and engineer a facility that incorporates cold chain infrastructure without compromising efficiency or safety.
Counterfeit Risks and Traceability
The global pharmaceutical supply chain is increasingly targeted by counterfeiters. Distributors are under pressure to implement advanced technologies—such as blockchain and serialized data capture—that ensure full product authenticity, from manufacturer to end user. Leverage DCS’ proprietary warehouse execution system (WES), DATUM, to gain precise track-and-trace capabilities and blockchain integration.
Labor Shortages and Rising Fulfillment Costs
Skilled warehouse labor is harder to find and more expensive to retain. Manual processes lead to increased training times, greater potential for error, and costly inefficiencies. DCS’ automation and software solutions optimize labor allocation to enhance efficiency, productivity, and throughput without increasing headcount.
Margin and Cost-per-Unit Pressures
As reimbursement rates tighten and operational costs rise, healthcare and pharmaceutical distributors are being squeezed from both ends. Protect against unpredictable and inflationary events with a best-in-class solution from DCS. Your system will be designed to drive efficiency across picking, packing, and shipping—without compromising compliance or customer expectations.
Need for Resilient, Redundant, and Accurate Systems
Pharmaceuticals and medical supplies are mission-critical—errors, downtime, or fulfillment delays can have life-threatening consequences. DCS can design and engineer a solution that ensures business continuity. Your system will not only be fast and accurate, but also resilient and redundant—with built-in predictive maintenance tools to prevent disruptions.The DCS Prescription for Life Science & Healthcare Distribution
The DCS Prescription for Life Science & Healthcare Distribution
Consulting-Led Design Expertise
The DCS consulting team carefully assesses and analyzes the needs of your life science distribution facility to craft the optimal system layout. This consultative, data-driven approach delivers a solution optimized throughput, temperature management, and compliance.
Powered by DATUM
DCS’ proprietary WES, DATUM delivers real-time visibility, predictive analytics, automated order processing, and blockchain readiness. DATUM enables track-and-trace capabilities that help healthcare, medical device, and pharmaceutical distributors meet DSCSA and other regulatory mandates while enhancing operational transparency.
Engineered for Precision and Compliance
DCS’ solutions meet the accuracy and reliability standards of the most regulated industries. From carton-level traceability to cold chain integrity, your engineered solution will incorporate modular designs and best-of-breed automation that reduce error and increase order fulfillment speed—without compromising safety or compliance. Among the technologies DCS deploys are:
- Adaptive modular hardware solutions
- Automated order picking and sortation
- Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for secure material movement
- Temperature-controlled material handling options
- Redundant systems to minimize risk and improve uptime
Real Results, Real Clients
DCS has helped major pharmaceutical, healthcare, and life science distribution operations overcome:
- Multi-site facility sprawl
- Inefficient process flow
- Underutilized automation and warehouse management systems (WMS)
- Poor space and slotting optimization
- High labor costs and excessive dwell time
- Rising costs and margin pressures
- Limited scalability for growth
- Lack of real-time visibility
- Inconsistent order accuracy and fulfillment speed
Agilent Boosts Distribution Efficiency with Strategic Assessment
Problem: Agilent Technologies needed to address inefficiencies across design, operations, and technology at two major distribution centers.
Solution: DCS conducted a comprehensive assessment covering space utilization, process flow, labor optimization, and WMS effectiveness—delivering prioritized recommendations, an automation strategy, and an implementation roadmap.
Results: Agilent reduced travel time by up to 20%, increased storage capacity by 25% without expansion, and created a scalable, cost-efficient plan to align with industry best practices.
KaVo Kerr Streamlines Five DCs into One High-Performance Hub
Problem: Rapid growth and a fragmented distribution network were driving inefficiencies and rising fulfillment costs for KaVo Kerr.
Solution: DCS designed a scalable, LEAN distribution center near Pomona, CA—consolidating five existing facilities into a single, optimized operation with enhanced productivity and service levels.
Results: The new design framework improved space utilization, enabled long-term growth, and positioned KaVo Kerr to reduce handling costs, shorten cycle times, and boost order accuracy.
Zoetis Builds a High-Performance DC to Support U.S. Market Entry
Problem: Zoetis needed to launch a new product line in the U.S. and required a fully integrated, compliant, and cost-efficient distribution center built to global standards.
Solution: DCS provided end-to-end design, engineering, project management, and post-launch support to deliver a highly automated distribution center in Atlanta—with precise alignment to Zoetis’ operational and regulatory needs.
Results: The project was completed on time and within budget, improving order service levels, minimizing cost per order, and enabling a seamless, compliant launch of the new product line.
Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) Designs a Smarter, Scalable Supply Chain
Problem: BHB’s fragmented supply chain—with multiple off-site storage locations—was inefficient, lacked visibility, and couldn’t scale to meet future healthcare demands.
Solution: DCS led a two-phase initiative that included designing a centralized, scalable distribution center, and delivering a network-wide assessment to optimize technology, standardize processes, and improve performance.
Results: The project enhanced inventory visibility, reduced delays, and improved supply chain efficiency, positioning BHB to deliver critical care supplies reliably and support healthcare growth through 2029.
Life Science and Healthcare FAQs
DCS works with manufacturers and distributors across a wide range of life science and healthcare categories, including pharmaceuticals and biologics, dietary supplements, healthcare products, medical devices, and medical supplies. Whether a company operates a single distribution center or manages a multi-site network, DCS designs and engineers material handling solutions tailored to match the operational complexity and regulatory requirements of that specific environment.
Regulatory compliance is built into every solution DCS engineers for life science and healthcare clients. We deploy automated systems and software that support lot-level tracking, product serialization, and streamlined recall processes. Through DATUM, our proprietary warehouse execution system (WES), distributors gain real-time track-and-trace capabilities and blockchain readiness that directly support compliance with the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) and other Food and Drug Administration (FDA) protocols. The goal is to keep operations both audit-ready and efficient at the same time.
Many pharmaceuticals, biologics, and lab specimens require precise climate control throughout storage and transport. DCS designs and engineers distribution facilities that incorporate cold chain infrastructure without sacrificing throughput or compliance. The engineering process accounts for proper temperature and humidity management at every stage of the fulfillment workflow, so product integrity is maintained from inbound receiving all the way through outbound shipping.
The engagement typically begins with a discovery conversation to understand the client’s current operations, regulatory environment, and growth objectives. From there, the DCS consulting team conducts a formal assessment that covers process flow, space utilization, technology gaps, and labor efficiency. DCS then develops a customized solution strategy that integrates engineering design, automation, and software into a cohesive plan. Clients receive a clear implementation roadmap with prioritized recommendations, so the path from current state to an optimized, compliant distribution operation is well-defined from the start.
We draw from a broad portfolio of automation technologies to build solutions tailored to the specific demands of life science and healthcare fulfillment. Adaptive modular hardware, automated order picking and sortation systems, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for secure material movement, and temperature-controlled material handling equipment are all part of the toolkit. Because DCS is brand and equipment-agnostic, our selection process is always driven by what best fits each specific operation rather than by any single vendor relationship. This approach ensures the right mix of technologies is applied to each unique facility and workflow.
Connect with DCS
DCS combines consulting, design, engineering, and software integration to build a custom solution for life science, healthcare, and pharmaceutical distributors. Let us help you achieve your accuracy, reliability, and compliance goals with a scalable, secure, and integrated system. Schedule a consultation.
Service Offerings
End-to-End Customer Service and Support
Keeping your warehouse operations and material handling systems running smoothly and at the peak of productivity are the goals of DCS’ Customer Service Team. By partnering with DCS, your warehouse automation solution is supported from commissioning to end of life. You’ll receive comprehensive in-house training of your personnel, including specialized training of your designated internal system expert. Plus, DCS offers a complete package of spare parts and expert system troubleshooting support from qualified engineers dedicated to your installation.
Custom Automated System Design and Integration
DCS offers a broad range of services including automated system design, installation, and integration services for a multitude of projects. These include retrofits, expansions, upgrades, and more. While every project is unique, our system design and execution processes are the same, encompassing meticulous attention to detail, frequent communication, and a dedicated partnership with our clients.