Issues involving supply chain communication have become a hot-button topic in almost every industry, and the medical industry is no exception. Specifically, we’re talking about the medical device supply chain.
Supply chain problems worsened significantly during the pandemic. While today’s shortages are not as dire as before, drastic improvements must be made to recover and prevent recurrences in the future.
The first step in creating a hospital supply chain strategic plan is to identify its current problems, including:
In this article, we offer solutions to these common pitfalls in order to develop better strategies for handling supply chain communication problems.
Unfortunately, poor hospital supply chain optimization and communication typically become apparent only when it’s too late. As a medical provider, patient lives are in your hands. Are you confident your supply chain will keep up with demand—and withstand a potential disaster, like another pandemic?
Here are three ways to start improving your medical device supply chain now:
In today’s society, all the information we could ever want is at our fingertips. And that information travels fast. Reports on product issues and recalls are published quickly, and if you’re not the one providing that information, you no longer control the narrative.
Transparency and better customer communication are crucial in earning and maintaining consumer trust, and the best way to communicate with customers is by embracing emerging tools and technology. Ideally, your strategy should:
These changes to your hospital supply chain strategic plan enhance productivity and reduce costs while improving customer satisfaction.
Regular face-to-face meetings aren’t always possible, but that doesn’t mean communication between your staff needs to suffer. The pandemic caused a drastic push for telecommunication services and technology, and integrating technological tools for video calls is crucial when in-person meetings aren’t feasible.
These tools aren’t just for meetings, either. They can be used for training, ensuring every staff member throughout your hospital’s supply chain understands their responsibilities and safety practices. These tools are easily integrated and keep everyone on the same page.
Product recalls are still a big problem in the healthcare industry. Unfortunately, many hospitals still rely on mailed recall notifications. That’s a real problem—failing to promptly address a recall can result in death, serious illness, and injury.
It’s called snail mail for a reason, and your patients shouldn’t be using malfunctioning, defective, or dangerous devices for weeks or months before the problem is discovered.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) receives thousands of medical device reports annually. Traditional recall notifications are slow, and providers receive duplicate and inapplicable notifications, furthering the risk of recall fatigue.
Now, more than ever, it’s crucial to implement an effective recall management strategy. Embracing technology like NotiSphere’s recall management software eases the burden and impact of recall communications on the supply chain. With NotiSphere, you receive recall information in real-time, and only get notices that apply to your team.
NotiSphere drastically improves communication between suppliers and providers. Our recall management software doesn’t just enhance medical device supply chains—it prevents recalled devices from harming your patients.
Improve communication in your supply chain with NotiSphere.
