In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, managing the supply chain has become a priority for healthcare organizations to tackle shortages and supply constraints. They have to be extremely flexible to keep up with the surging demand for personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators, and other medical services and products. The crisis has thus substantiated the need to adopt effective supply chain management (SCM) strategies and practices across the sector to optimize scarce resources, reduce shortages, and expand capacities. With scarcity and cost of supplies escalating every day, healthcare leaders are increasingly looking to their supply chains to drive operational efficiency and reduce costs.
Notably, cutting-edge technologies have come to the forefront of the sector during the crisis. Automation and digitized supply chain tools are extensively being leveraged to drive efficiencies across procurement, inventory management, and clinical operations. Another major trend has been the centralization of sourcing, procurement, and inventory management across the healthcare network. Many organizations are thus expediting the use of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. By harnessing the power of data analytics with AI, healthcare organizations can also reduce variations in the supply chain and gain more insights into demand patterns and supply utilization.
The adoption of the internet of things (IoT) is also surging in the sector. For instance, the use of real-time location systems (RTLS) in healthcare organizations is on the rise due to the visibility and traceability they offer. RTLS enables tracking, locating, and monitoring in real-time, thereby aiding the healthcare staff to track the real-time geographic location of equipment quickly. It can significantly improve asset utilization rates and reduce the unnecessary purchase of extra inventory.
At this juncture, there is a variety of SCM solution providers and consulting companies available in the market that caters to the different needs of healthcare organizations. To help them choose the solution or service that best fits their requirement, Healthcare Tech Outlook has compiled a list of the top 10 SCM solution providers and the top 10 SCM consulting/service companies. The enlisted solution providers and consulting/service companies are the frontrunners in the market that provide a wide span of features. Besides, the magazine also comprises insights from thought leaders in the sector on the industry trends, best practices, recent innovations, and their advice for the aspiring CIOs.
We present to you Healthcare Tech Outlook’s, “Top 10 Supply Chain Management Consulting/Service Companies – 2020.”