From product and supply shortages to debilitating logistical hurdles, healthcare organizations are facing a world of pressures. Managing medical supplies and equipment at the point of care (POC), such as in hospitals or clinics, ensures they are readily available for use.
"VITAL SUPPLY LIFELINE"
HEALTHCARE & LIFE SCIENCE
Today’s medical suppliers are forced to navigate a complex web of vendor managed inventory (VMI), suppliers, distributors, and regulatory bodies to ensure they have the right resources at the right time for the right patient. Furthermore, today’s troublesome geopolitical landscape means medical shippers must factor growing government-issued regulations and stringent requirements when shipping hazardous materials; all to avoid harsh financial penalties while staying competitive.
Living without actionable data and insights leads to supplier relationship issues: an industry MUST. This same lack of data on product usage and supply demand inhibits collaboration between providers and suppliers, leading to higher operational costs – putting further strain on healthcare budgets, while cost-cutting measures that compromise quality can lead to adverse patient outcomes.
It’s an industry known for employing the latest, cutting-edge technologies. In supply chain management, this means enhancing resiliency - preventing patient care bottlenecks by applying predictive data analytics, and ultimately lowering labour costs. Shipping solutions have gained broad acceptance due to their robust features and ability to offer high-grade patient care at low operational costs. Simplified processes such as automated lot tracking make it easier for healthcare supply channels to communicate value-added information to suppliers, through accurate forecasting and demand planning.
KEYS TO SUCCESS
REGULATORY COMPLIANCE AND QUALITY CONTROL
Medical device compliance measures are sets of established laws, regulations, and standards that require proactive due diligence. Automating compliance screening reduces supply chain risks restricted parties - delivering constant vigilance, complete documentation, and robust tracking systems.
DATA MANAGEMENT AND VISIBILITY
The need for real-time data analytics and visibility across the supply chain is crucial for decision-making. The ability to track inventory accurately, predict demand, and respond quickly to operational disruptions through flexible contingency planning and forecasting is the key to improving supply chain resiliency.
INFLEXIBLE SHIPPING OPTIONS
Medical supply and demand does not stop; hospitals must address emergencies as they happen – no matter the cost. Medical shippers need access to a wide range of shipping options and services to accommodate and answer the call, while proactive due diligence and precise monitoring measures are essential to preserving the efficacy and safety of these products.
CHARGE CAPTURE
Higher freight bills, tightened capacity restrictions, relentless patient care pressures, rising fuel prices, and driver shortages all lead to increased costs for medical supply shippers. Interpreting KPIs and critical financial information can break down siloed supply chain departments.
REAL-TIME COORDINATION
Medical supply chains require end-to-end visibility in real-time – seamlessly coordinating multiple vendors, suppliers, manufacturers, and distribution channels. Improved visibility, tracking, and coordination through order integration reduces the potential for bottlenecks, disruptions, and increased operational costs in responding to fluctuating market changes.
Delivering Healthcare: How an Enhanced D365 Shipping Solution Injects Visibility & Compliance into Medical Supply Chains
For many supply chain professionals, the answer is simple: adapt and upgrade internal systems in order to keep up with unfaltering demand. However, lacklustre system integrations can only exacerbate supply chain frailties as poorly integrated systems and processes limit visibility into healthcare systems’ supply statuses, leading to stockouts, overordering, added costs, waste, and more.
Manual processes paired with an inability to access, decipher, and leverage actionable data insights can contribute to supplier relationship issues. Integrating with a cloud-based enterprise resource planner (ERP), like Microsoft D365 and Intelligent Order Management (IOM) ensures medical shippers have the essential resources they need to interpret supply chain KPIs and automate their shipping operation from start to finish.