TraceLink partner onboarding and offboarding

A fixed-price way to bring partners on – and off – your TraceLink landscape without disrupting supply.

Partner onboarding is where many serialisation and track-and-trace programmes stall. Each CMO, 3PL or distributor has different systems, priorities and constraints, and every onboarding or offboarding touches regulatory reporting, master data and day-to-day operations.

Two colleagues having a meeting in an office with large windows, one smiling woman and one man writing notes at a desk with a laptop.

Amalia offers TraceLink partner onboarding and offboarding as a managed, fixed-price service. Our TraceLink-experienced Implementation Project Manager (IPM) and Technical Consultant (TC) run the process end to end: from pre-project analysis and partner communication through configuration, testing, cutover, hypercare and handover. Where needed, we can add CSV/CSA validation deliverables on top.

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Our standard package is offered as a fixed fee of €20,000 per partner onboarding or offboarding, with volume discounts available for larger portfolios.

Why TraceLink Partner Onboarding and Offboarding Matters

TraceLink’s network makes it technically easier than ever to connect manufacturers, CMOs, 3PLs, wholesalers, MAHs and distributors. But onboarding and offboarding still require co-ordinated effort across IT, quality, supply chain and partners.

Without structured Partner Management

TraceLink makes connectivity easier—but without a structured approach, onboarding and offboarding remain complex and resource-intensive.

Partners use different systems, formats and serialisation capabilities

Unclear ownership of master data, routing and exception handling

Inconsistent onboarding across sites, brands and legacy instances

Limited capacity to manage multiple partner changes in parallel

Offboarding leaves orphaned routes, alerts and validation gaps

Increased risk during mergers, migrations and network changes

With structured Partner Management

A standardised, repeatable approach ensures partner changes are efficient, controlled and scalable.

Defined onboarding playbooks applied consistently across partners

Clear roles and responsibilities across IT, quality and supply chain

Standardised data, routing and exception-handling processes

Scalable approach to manage multiple partners and changes in parallel

Controlled offboarding with clean system states and preserved history

Proven delivery in large-scale programmes without production disruption

What We Do Under TraceLink Partner Onboarding and Offboarding

We use a structured lifecycle and an up-front analysis step for every partner. There is no separate “how we work” section: the way we work is built into each phase.

Analysis – standard or complex?

Initiation

Concept

Execution

Closure

Optional: CSV / CSA validation add-on

Step 1

Analysis – standard or complex?

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Before any onboarding or offboarding, we run a short analysis phase to understand:

Partner type (CMO, CPO, 3PL, wholesaler, MAH, distributor) and role in your network

Systems and connections in play today (TraceLink, other platforms, EDI, custom integrations)

Markets, products, routes and volumes affected

Whether there are complicating factors (for example instance mergers, multi-market re-routing, unusual regulations or data flows)

Based on this, we classify the engagement as:

- Standard onboarding/offboarding – covered by our €20,000 fixed-price package, delivered by a dedicated TraceLink TC and IPM.
- Complex onboarding/offboarding – handled under a tailored Statement of Work (for example large instance-merger waves, multi-country re-design or heavy integration work), still using the same core templates and approach.

The remaining phases describe what you get under the standard package, where most typical CMOs and 3PLs fall.

Step 2

Initiation

In the Initiation phase, we set the foundation and formally launch the project:

Establish formal documentation on the onboarding or offboarding process with all parties (For example CMO/MAH contracts, TraceLink SOW, internal change requests)

Confirm scope and responsibilities across Business, Amalia, TraceLink and the partner
- Which markets, products, GTINs, lines and messages are in scope
- Who owns which decisions and approvals

Launch the onboarding / offboarding process
- Kick-off meeting led by the Amalia IPM and TC
- Agreement of success criteria, risk and stakeholder list

Output: a confirmed plan to proceed as a standard, fixed-price engagement.

Step 3

Concept

In the Concept phase, we agree what will be built and how:

Ensure all technical and business needs are addressed
- Use our Partner Onboarding Assessment Checklist to understand partner readiness and complexity
- Align on reporting requirements, master-data ownership and exception handling

Ensure data accuracy and consistency throughout the process
- Clarify sources of truth for product, location and partner data
- Agree who checks and approves master data before it is loaded

Develop a Work Breakdown Structure and detailed timeline
- Build a detailed onboarding / offboarding plan based on our standard template
- Identify key milestones, dependencies and partner actions

Align all parties
- Run a Concept / Alignment workshop with Business, Amalia, TraceLink and the partner
- Confirm roles for the next phase: Business focusing on decisions and data, Amalia leading delivery, TraceLink and partner providing technical inputs and feedback

Output: an agreed design and timeline for the onboarding or offboarding, with clear responsibilities.

Step 4

Execution

In the Execution phase, our TC and IPM lead the practical work through test and production:

Set up and configure the iTest (test) environment
- Create or update partner entities, routes and connections
- Configure country / market settings, templates and maps as needed

Input verified master data into TraceLink
- Load and verify master data (products, GTINs, pack hierarchies, locations, partners) into iTest
- Ensure all information is accurately set up and operational before any live traffic

Conduct testing in the iTest environment
- Run agreed test scenarios end to end, covering commissioning, aggregation, shipments, decommissioning and returns as applicable
- Capture partner feedback and adjust configuration where necessary
- Confirm performance and stability of the connection

Set up and configure the Production environment
- Mirror the tested configuration into Production in a controlled way
- Perform smoke tests and final readiness checks ahead of cutover

For offboardings, Execution also includes configuration of new routes or replacement partners where applicable, and preparation of decommissioning steps for the old connection.

Step 6

Closure

Closure covers go-live, early-life support and formal wrap-up:

Provide immediate go-live support (hypercare)
- Closely monitor messages and alerts just after go-live
- Respond quickly to any issues to ensure system stability and partner satisfaction
- Adjust configuration where minor tuning is required

Conclude with formal closure and handover
- Confirm that onboarding/offboarding objectives have been met
- Hand over a concise configuration and operations summary to your BAU team
- Close the project with formal communications to Business, partners and TraceLink

At this point, the partner is either fully live in the new set-up, or cleanly removed and replaced, with no loose ends.

Step 7

Optional: CSV / CSA validation add-on

You can add a validation package on top of the standard onboarding/offboarding work:

Impact assessment on the existing validation package

Updated validation plan or addendum for the change

Risk assessment focused on data-integrity and regulatory-reporting risk

Test plan and evidence (scripted and/or unscripted, as appropriate)

Updated traceability matrix and configuration documentation

Concise validation summary / release report

This add-on is scoped separately and can be combined across multiple partners to optimise effort and cost.

Deliverables

For a standard partner onboarding or offboarding under the €20,000 fixed-price package, you typically receive:

Analysis summary

Short assessment confirming that the partner qualifies as a standard onboarding/offboarding (or recommending a tailored Statement of Work for complex cases).

Initiation deliverables

- Agreed scope and responsibility summary
- Formal documentation of the onboarding/offboarding process (for example references to SOWs, internal change requests and contracts).

Concept deliverables

- Completed partner assessment (based on the standard checklist)
- Agreed Work Breakdown Structure and timeline (onboarding/offboarding plan)
- Meeting notes from the alignment workshop with Business, Amalia, TraceLink and the partner

Execution deliverables

- Configured iTest and Production environments for the partner, including master-data load
- Documented test scenarios and results for iTest (and key smoke tests in Production)
- For offboarding: documented list of decommissioned routes and connections, and any replacement flows.

Closure and handover deliverables

- Short hypercare log (key issues and resolutions)
- Handover summary for BAU teams (how the partner is configured, what to monitor, who to contact)
- Closure note confirming that the onboarding/offboarding is complete

Optional – validation add-on (priced separately)

- Impact assessment, risk assessment and updated validation plan or addendum
- Test plan and evidence aligned with CSV or CSA
- Updated traceability and configuration records
- Validation summary / release statement suitable for inspections and audits.

Customer Stories & Insights

From Vision to Execution: Our Strategic Framework

The gap between a strategy document and functioning corporate governance is almost entirely about two design choices: how specific the values are, and how deeply the framework integrates with operational processes.

Inside the Quality Management System — We Built to Scale

A formally compliant QMS and a functional one are not the same thing. For a life sciences consultancy, the difference comes down to calibration — and the discipline to build something proportionate rather than just correct.

We will be adding more customer stories soon. Please check other categories till then

We will be adding upcoming webinars soon. Please check other categories till then

Outcomes you can expect by working with Amalia

A man in a white shirt writing in a notebook while a woman in a black blazer smiles and listens during a meeting in a modern office.

Reduced time and effort per partner

Moving from months of ad-hoc work to a repeatable approach measured in weeks.

Lower risk during major changes

Structured migrations and instance mergers completed without production disruption.

Better partner experience

Clear communication, predictable plans and fewer surprises for CMOs, MAHs and logistics providers.

Improved compliance and audit readiness

Partner changes aligned with your GxP, CSV/CSA and data-integrity frameworks.

Cost savings over time

Particularly when combined with instance consolidation and optimised licensing and support.

When to Consider TraceLink Partner Onboarding and Offboarding

Five people having a meeting at a table with notebooks and glasses of water near large windows.

Need to onboard new CMOs, CPOs, 3PLs, wholesalers or distributors to TraceLink

Are migrating partners from another serialisation or track-and-trace platform into TraceLink

Are consolidating or splitting TraceLink instances after a merger, acquisition or divestment

Want to standardise and accelerate partner changes across brands or business units

Must offboard partners cleanly, including route changes, data retention and validation updates

We can start with a single partner as a pilot and then apply the same pattern across your wider partner portfolio, with volume discounts for larger programmes.

Why Amalia

We help organisations turn complex change into solutions that people actually use. We combine structure, respect and creativity so your teams deliver better outcomes with less friction. Here is what that looks like in real engagements.

Simplicity by design — no unnecessary complexity

We remove what isn’t needed while keeping essential controls and compliance. The result is clear, practical systems that are easy to adopt and maintain.