Healthcare and medical service providers across the nation are continuing to experience dramatic growth both in terms of the number of facilities, and in the quality of care being delivered.
Coupled with the increased emphasis being placed on developing Integrated Delivery Networks (IDNs) to accompany this expansion, administrators in these organizations are frequently facing new types of capital equipment purchasing decisions that will impact their services for years to come.
Many times the hospital administrator and purchasing team are burdened with outfitting off-site clinics or other non-acute facilities. This is unknown territory to many of them.
What's at stake?
The capital equipment needs for new, remodeling, and expanding healthcare facilities encompass a range of both goods and services that often prove to be challenging for even experienced purchasing managers.
Top product challenges:
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choosing the right product for each facility when upgrading, replacing, or purchasing new capital equipment
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standardization of equipment across differing disciplines
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choosing the right manufacturer partners
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getting the best value for the price paid
Top service challenges:
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placing POs with multiple manufacturers
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tracking product ship dates from multiple manufacturers to arrive when needed
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tracking product delivery
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warehousing and staging of capital equipment prior to delivery
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having the knowledgeable staff that can assemble products from multiple manufacturers
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delivery of product by staff to the correct room
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disposal of trash and of old equipment
Capital Equipment Buying Tips
Many of the resources available to healthcare industry managers today are the tried and tested information channels that have been helping such decisions for years. These include:
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Trade shows – these continue to be a great place to actually see what options are out there – and provide a chance to physically examine equipment versus simply reading about items in a sales brochure.
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Industry colleagues – the grapevine continues to be a reliable source for tapping into other's firsthand experience with material you want to know more about. Picking up the phone and calling similarly placed associates you've had professional interactions with is always an effort well spent.
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Manufacturer sales reps – these individuals have in-depth understanding of their particular products and experience working with many medical facilities and healthcare organizations. They can often give you a perspective on enhancing your developing IDNs that might otherwise not be brought up.
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Internet postings – while this approach is more recent it is becoming a more commonly utilized resource. Tapping into online resources such as Twitter, Facebook, Google Trends, and similar sites, is a great way to see what other healthcare center administrators and managers are saying about the same issues and products you're dealing with. Not only will you find valuable feedback here, but also links to even more resources that will help to inform your decision making process.
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Medical equipment distributors – potentially the most valuable information source you will run across are the specialists working with medical equipment suppliers who deal with the full range of manufacturers making products for the healthcare industry. These are experts in healthcare vertical markets – and in evaluating what products might best fit your specific needs.
Each of these information sources have much to offer purchasing managers struggling with capital equipment buying decisions. But, without any doubt, working with distributors who focus on medical equipment only, deal with many of the healthcare manufacturers, and provide the necessary services to complete these type of projects, will be an unequaled source of specific information in such situations.
About CME: CME Corp is the nation’s premier source for healthcare equipment, turnkey logistics, and biomedical services, representing 2 million+ products from more than 2,000 manufacturers.
With two corporate offices and 35+ service centers, our mission is to help healthcare facilities nationwide reduce the cost of the equipment they purchase, make their equipment specification, delivery, installation, and maintenance processes more efficient, and help them seamlessly launch, renovate and expand on schedule. Visit our website or call us for help with your specific needs.
