Procurement practices play a significant role in making or breaking hospitals’ competitive edge and margins. The right sourcing strategies help to rapidly reduce supply costs as well as keep future costs under control for both extensive facilities, such as state hospitals and small personal clinics. This is particularly true for surgical rooms which can generate significant revenues for the hospital but also act as a source of waste and unnecessary costs. As such, any cost-saving tactic can produce a broad financial impact and is always welcome. One such tactic is partnering with a reliable surgical supply store.
Taking into consideration the critical role that surgical supplies play in protecting lives, the need for a trusted supplier cannot be overemphasized. The dilemma for procurement officers would be whether to choose a single supply store or have multiple suppliers. Since health facilities require different supplies, it only makes sense to have numerous suppliers. However, it is recommended to have surgical equipment supplied by a single vendor. There are several reasons for this.
Everything under one roof
Finding a reliable surgical supplier is critical for the sake of your routine procedures, and more importantly, for surgical emergencies. It would be unfortunate to lose life as your administrator runs from one supplier to another in search of essential surgical equipment. With a single supplier, you have a guarantee of consistency. The supplier will know your needs with time, thus making sure they have stock of everything you require for your surgical procedures. If they lack particular equipment that you need on short notice, they can source it elsewhere and deliver it to you without causing you any inconvenience.
Quality consistency
One of the most significant factors that go in favor of single sourcing is consistency in quality. As the relationship between the supplier and the hospital is cemented, a sense of responsibility is created on the side of the supplier. This sense of trust leads to the efficient and effective delivery of quality products. They will also work on improving the quality of their surgical supplies in a bid to retain your loyalty. Aside from that, it is much easier to work towards developing tailor-made products when working with a single supplier than with multiple suppliers. It can be challenging to trace who delivered faulty items when dealing with numerous vendors, which would never be the case when single sourcing. The single vendor is responsible for the process from the beginning to the end, and they cannot blame others for delays or non-performance.
Better buying power
Every business is after maximizing profits and minimizing costs, whether they are extensive medical facilities or small doctor’s offices that conduct minor surgical procedures. One of the enormous benefits you accrue from dealing with a single supplier for surgical items is the power to negotiate for better buying terms. When you become a faithful and consistent customer, your surgical supply store can confidently offer you attractive deals and discounts. They will want to return the favor of being a bulk buyer by giving you first place in their promotional activities. Besides that, you have the power to negotiate prices when single-sourcing which you can base on the fact that you are buying larger quantities and for an extended period.
Cost saving
The single-sourcing model has a cost-saving benefit over the multi-sourcing model. When buying surgical supplies from one vendor, you will eliminate many costs that would be incurred if you were dealing with many suppliers, such as delivery costs and handling charges. The hospital is also relieved from the burden of pricing vendors individually as invoices are consolidated with the single-sourcing model. Cutting down the cost of surgical supplies enables a hospital to offer competitive prices to their patients and leverage better economies of scale.
Fast delivery of supplies
It is crucial to have a fully stocked inventory of surgical items. A reliable partner will ensure that your orders are delivered in the soonest time possible and right to your location. You can make arrangements to have a standing order of vital surgical supplies whereby they will be supplied every week or fortnight. In the case of multiple vendors, it is difficult to establish such as a relationship with all the parties.
