Adapting to a Changing Landscape |
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the system ’ s unique needs is a big part of what makes each implementation successful .
Many systems haven ’ t had to conduct data cleansing and pricing analysis since they partnered with a previous vendor — and that often happened with different managers and leaders . Multiple siloed departments and manual spreadsheets make the process feel daunting . With a solid implementation team , fill rates have stayed at over 97 % due to trend analysis of the data and engaging the right resources on the customer side . And a solid benefit of both implementation and prime vendor analysis is a rise in pricing accuracy and price assurance . Transparency is key throughout the process to create effective change management in healthcare . Pricing metrics are presented on a weekly basis , with milestones to meet , and this proactivity ensures that goals are achieved before the first order is placed .
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Building Customer Confidence At “ Go Live ,” Medline is managing the true exceptions — making sure rejections are well below 3 %, and that pricing accuracy is well above 90 %. The most successful implementations have involved properly trained and engaged implementation teams that have set expectations with the customer . The collaboration happens with the customer helping to update the following :
• Item master data
• Pricing
• PAR locations It ’ s critical that any steps required by the system are shared as early as possible , so everyone can properly prepare and allocate the resources needed ahead of time . If you get both sides talking — as early as week one of a 15-week implementation — the customer is involved in the crucial steps required to complete a successful transition .
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“ We normally would not be able to maintain level of visibility as to what inventory is coming into our distribution partner without the implementation team that Medline brought to the table . We are also very lucky to have a very strong PVA team on our side — working very closely with them to make sure that everything ’ s running as smoothly as possible , while also having insights from strong data .”
— Travis Barkel , director of purchasing and stock control , Sutter Health
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er ’ s supply chain strategy . In the case of Sutter Health , the desire to bring hundreds of items and specific vendors back into their prime distribution channel after the pandemic created a huge challenge for the system . To many managing the project , it was considered as a full secondary implementation process . As Chad Hoare , IDN executive account director at Medline , recalled , “ With Sutter coordinating with the team , the project that would otherwise be complex and time consuming ran relatively smoothly .” With added complexities in the supply chain , and the desire to become more and more resilient , systems are looking to Medline to simplify and streamline their overall operations and distribution strategies . As with other major instances of change management in healthcare , a secondary implementation can be integral even in the most solid or longterm of partnerships . |
“ The collaborative nature of our teams ensures we remain poised to continue our commitment to quality patient care by supporting our clinicians who care for our community . This partnership guarantees we can deliver the right product , to the right place , at the right time .” |
Implementation Within a Long-term Relationship Sometimes , the implementation team can be called in if there is a significant change in a custom- |
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— Mark Fawson , MBA , BSN , RN , CMRP , director of material services , University of Utah Health |