Supply Chain Strategy
This article was written by Lisa Miller.
VIE Healthcare Consulting is the go to healthcare consulting provider for many hospitals looking for end-to-end supply chain solutions.
Below, I outline five reasons to work with VIE Healthcare on your supply chain strategy.
Executive Team: I am often asked what is the most important aspect of the customized end-to-end supply chain solutions that we offer and my reply is simple. It’s our people. Your supply chain accounts for up to 45% of your hospital costs and is becoming increasingly complex to manage. The VIE Healthcare executive team combines decades of leadership and expertise in this critical area of healthcare. That’s why hospitals call us when they want to implement best practices in their supply chain.
Management of Medical Supplies: Our end-to-end solutions cover the effective management of PPIs and general medical supplies. With our in-house expertise, we understand how to source essential items and supplies, achieving best pricing and best utilization. We also work with hospitals on managing their purchased services spend, value analysis and negotiation strategies. Our clients also utilize our services to help them with their entire portfolio of outsourced agreements.
Specialization in the OR: We also work with hospitals in supply chain expertise in the OR, examining inventory and consignment levels. A major part of effective supply chain management is understanding the costs versus what is reimbursed. Our unique process analyzes what a specific surgery or procedure costs. We then map those costs to actual reimbursements received, not just what is expected.
A major part of effective supply chain management in healthcare is understanding the costs versus what is actually reimbursed. Click To Tweet
Benchmarking: Effective benchmarking can identify huge opportunities for cost savings and transform your supply chain performance. Our approach to benchmarking is unique. Our team of experts examine not just the top 100 vendors, but also the top 101 to 1000 vendors to achieve dramatic cost savings through accurate benchmarking. By extending our analysis to include this “middle level” vendor space we are able to identify cost savings that are otherwise overlooked by many healthcare systems and consultants.
Creating a GPO strategy: My experience has shown that most hospitals do not have a GPO strategy but it is critical to have one. A GPO can be an important part of your supply chain strategy but it should represent just one part of that strategy, not all of it. We work with our clients to create their own supply chain strategy which is unique to every organization.
A GPO must provide line item savings to your hospital. In evaluating your GPO, I recommend:
- A complete review of all subscription services and whether they are fully utilized or still needed.
- Carry out a benchmarking exercise to ensure you are getting the best products and services at the optimum price for your organization.
If you don’t have a GPO strategy, my recommendation is to create one. VIE Healthcare can help you to achieve that.
