Four Things Healthcare’s Supply Chain Leaders Get Right
Gartner recently released its Top 25 Healthcare Supply Chains list which recognizes healthcare organizations that are leading in improving patient care at sustainable costs. These organizations continue to show notable improvements connecting financial health, performance, and supply chain success.
Patient Focus
One of the top concepts leading healthcare organizations get right are patient-centric supply chains. The idea behind a patient-centric or demand-driven supply chain is the ability to automate ordering and supply chain processes and track data in real-time. This allows healthcare facilities to eliminate waste and lower costs. Demand-driven supply chain processes allow healthcare professionals to allot patients the time and care they deserve, improving the overall experience.
Ensuring Compliance and Creating Collaboration Opportunities
As knowledge on health and safety grows, so do compliance laws to ensure best practices are met in healthcare environments. New and evolving standards are requiring organizations to change how they are run. Top healthcare facilities are coordinating care through interoperable systems, allowing for easier and safer information tracking and transferring data between ERP and EHR systems, as well as other care facilities. Interoperable systems facilitate compliance, improve supply chain functionality and create more collaborative relationships between patients, physicians, nurse practitioners, coders, billers and any individual who plays a role in the medical encounter.
Investing in Analytics
Supply chain leaders in healthcare know data matters and its importance is guiding investment decisions. Among the leaders, the number of organizations investing in business intelligence solutions and aligning and measuring metrics beyond basic costs and logistics is growing. Being able to track and learn from what goes on within a healthcare facility allows more strategic planning and spending.
Challenging the Status Quo
An important quality found among the healthcare industry’s supply chain leaders is the motivation not to settle. With the healthcare industry facing rising costs that are likely to increase in the future, savvy leaders know they must use this challenge as an opportunity to create positive change and disrupt the industry by identifying strategies for interoperability and lowering costs.
A strong healthcare organization begins with strategic supply chain processes. We salute the healthcare supply chain leaders who realize that current operation and supply chain strategies are not sustainable and are making proactive changes to the process.
Greg Benton is vice president of healthcare at Avaap.