During a November webinar hosted by Becker's Healthcare and sponsored by Cardinal Health, supply chain leaders discussed the impact of trends in the healthcare industry and what steps can be taken to best prepare supply chains for the future.
Panelists included Paul Farnin, Bill Moir, and Joe Walsh. Mr. Farnin is the director of Supply Chain Solutions at Cardinal Health, Mr. Moir is the senior vice president of Supply Chain Management at Henry Ford Health System, and Mr. Walsh is the founder of Supply Chain Sherpas. Read the following two takeaways to build your supply chain for the future.
- Supply chains of the future will drive value beyond traditional expectations. Getting the right product to the right place at the right time at the right cost will have to be complemented with value-based techniques. These techniques may stem from innovative applications of data and analytics to better inform supply chain operations or from extending supply chains into new areas. "With the hospital at home concept becoming increasingly attractive to patients and communities, supply chains are perfectly positioned to deliver care to the last mile," Mr. Moir said.
- Data analytics are key to making supply chains more resilient. Equipping supply chains with data analytics capabilities can streamline product sourcing decisions and improve inventory visibility and planning. "Many of us are looking for a greater level of automation as it pertains to product availability and substitution, which can help clinicians with decision-making," Mr. Farnin said. "Historically, we've helped hospitals look at inventory within their four walls, but physicians also need data to analyze what they might need going forward."
As supply chain leaders across the industry face growing challenges, incorporating new measures, functions and capabilities will help further elevate their value to health systems. To view the rest of the takeaways from this webinar discussion, read the full recap article here.
For more resources and strategies on supply chain excellence, visit our Supply Chain Center.