How to Evaluate Your Medical Equipment Distributor

When engaging in a major expansion, remodeling, or a new construction project for your medical facility there are many things that need to be considered.  

Not only is it important to determine where this project should be located and how it should be configured, but also who is going to develop the plans and do the construction.  

It's always a good thing to do your due diligence to assure that the company you choose is the right one for the job.  The same is true when determining what equipment items need to be included in outfitting and furnishing this new space.  

You need to not only identify the types of equipment needed, but also who is best prepared to procure and deliver that equipment when, and where, it is needed in optimal operating condition.

Here are some tips to help you evaluate your medical equipment distributor to assure that they meet, and/or exceed, your expectations:

Experience in Medical Equipment Procurement:

You will want a distributor with years of experience behind them in order to assure that they know the specifics of the equipment you will need and are familiar with the equipment manufacturers.  

Purchasing equipment items through a distributor that already has an established relationship with the manufacturer usually means getting a better deal in pricing, delivery costs, added support, etc. Also, being experienced in purchasing and delivering these items means that they have a degree of expertise and understanding of what can work well in specific areas and what won't.

Logistics & Warehousing:

Logistics and warehousing should come hand in hand. How your orders are managed and shipped to you plays a major role in the efficacy of your procurement process. You will want a distributor who can use their own warehouse to receive, examine, store, and stage the equipment for delivery when and where it is needed. 

Staging & Assembly:

How is your equipment received by your medical equipment distributor? You want to know that your equipment items are being received at a warehouse where they will be inspected, assembled, and labeled before they reach you. All problems should be caught before they arrive at your facility.  

If you aren't ready for delivery the equipment should be safely stored until your schedule can accommodate installation.  As well, your equipment should be assembled, staged and delivered based on the floor and room of your facility. Asset tagging should also be coordinated with your distributor prior to any delivery.

Versatility of Delivery:

Your chosen medical equipment distributor should perform an actual or virtual walk-through of the space to which the equipment is to go in order to troubleshoot issues such as truck access, elevator access, safety requirements, etc. These value added services protect you from unforeseen problems at the time of delivery. You need a distributor who can deliver to your facility without challenges.

Assembly and Setup:

It is not sufficient to merely drop off the equipment items at the delivery door of this new, or newly renovated facility. They need to be delivered Direct-to-Site to the specific area of use, assembled, or set-up, and checked out for proper functioning. In addition, the equipment distributor should be able to go over the operation of the equipment with your staff and remove all the shipping materials.

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.