In our current economic climate, many healthcare facilities are looking to cut back when it comes to handling equipment delivery and warehousing mainly due to a lack of warehouse space and a lack of sufficient personnel to handle all of the many tasks involved in this process. 

A number of IDNs and large systems often ask distributors and vendors to take on logistical needs they would not have in the past—and instead of keeping large items in a central warehouse, they are leaning more toward direct-to-side delivery.

The Architecture, Capital Equipment and Engineering (ACE) Summit and Reverse Expo held from Feb. 1-3 in Atlanta, Georgia highlighted the biggest challenges and questions facing healthcare suppliers, vendors, architects, engineers and other heavy hitters in the industry.  These include whether healthcare projects are in demand or profitable with some of the biggest areas of focus for participants being location and the cost effectiveness of these projects.

A Google search of “IO&T” brings up references to the "Internet Of Things", but that’s not what we’re talking about here.  IO&T is the acronym for Initial Outfitting and Transition, the federal government term used for the overall process of setting up military medical facilities.

Healthcare facilities need the right equipment – delivered on time – to operate at peak efficiency and effectiveness. Throughout the process, facilities need to be able to function seamlessly, without disrupting employees’ duties or patient care. This can become even more difficult if your facility is having multiple large pieces of equipment from many different manufacturers received and delivered to a new or remodeled location.

"Industry best."

"Best practices.”

“Best in class.”

Here’s another often-cited quote:  “You can’t argue with success.”  If you want to be a high achiever and successful within your own organization, Bob Engel, C.P.M., says to look to the processes and practices used by the most successful industry leaders.  He says, “In today's economic environment, doing what you've always done—even if you do it very well—is no longer acceptable.  Under pressure to contain costs and produce results despite challenging circumstances, you (and many other supply chain managers) must transform rather than simply improve your operation.”

Managing any area of a healthcare facility is challenging enough.  Add to that a hospital expansion project and managers are going to have to draw upon their own positive personal attributes to manage and succeed in this complex endeavor.  It is helpful to have professionals in the industry to aid in streamlining the necessary workflow and optimizing the equipment delivery tasks to support it.

When you are engaged in a major new construction, expansion or remodeling project a prime concern is that of acquiring the equipment necessary to test and treat the patients as well as the furniture needed to outfit your new medical facility.  To be sure that the equipment is delivered and set up in a timely manner and in proper operating condition, you should choose a medical equipment distributor that is experienced in doing just that.  Working with an experienced and dedicated equipment distributor streamlines the logistic process and provides two important elements that determines how the equipment will flow into your facility: assembly and staging, and direct-to-site delivery.

If you are in charge of ordering medical equipment for a hospital or healthcare facility, you understand the challenges. You’ve searched for easier ways to manage the process, but everything seems to fall short. So what do you really need for ease of mind when it comes to dealing with medical equipment ordering? We’ve compiled a list of factors you should look for to make the lives of hospital purchasing agents and department managers less stressful.

When buying products for a non-acute vs. an acute care facility you are, no doubt, well aware that the cost to acquire and implement capital equipment goes far beyond the purchase price.  Although there may be little or no difference in the product pricing per se, there may be a substantial difference in the delivery costs involved.  Non-acute sites can often access the same products and pricing through a GPO contract due to their affiliation with an acute-care (in-patient) facility.  However, even though the product purchasing and pricing may be the same, the delivery and installation costs may be quite a different matter.

Capital equipment can be thought of as costly equipment that can help generate income.  What is most important is that the equipment in question be able to help the hospital with the delivery of quality patient care over an extended period of time.