SOURCING & LOGISTICS For example, Medline worked to modify their inventory
management practices and adopt a new standard of work to ensure that appropriate stock levels of the substitute items would be available. Stanford, meanwhile, streamlined their sub- stitute approval process to ensure timely approval of relevant substitute items. A Substitution Task Force was also enhanced to convene daily to vet clinically acceptable equivalents. A process that used to take up to four weeks was streamlined to an average of five days, and less than 72 hours in the most emergent cases. Both entities then came together to code a custom interface
between Medline systems and the Lawson ERP to optimize data transfer, cadence and alignment within the Auto-sub program. In tandem with the Auto-sub work, Supply Chain and Medline
teams supported by GHX set out to implement a best-in-class price accuracy solution in Medline’s TruePrice using GHX’s MyExchange portal to monitor and measure efficacy. At every step along the way, the group turned to process improve- ment best practices to come to consensus on the best way to implement other required solutions and create collaborative structures meant to sustain improvement work after the project had culminated.
Joseph Riggio, vice president, IDN Market Sales, Medline Industries
Xenex Corp. Specific challenge the customer faced: Example 1: We man- ufacture LightStrike+ Germ-Zapping Robots that are used to reduce the microbial load (the number of pathogens) on non-critical medical devices in rooms in healthcare facilities. The robots are often operated by a hospital’s Environmental Service (EVS) employees, a department in which employee turnover can be a challenge. As part of our service pro- gram, Xenex’s customer success team provides monthly utilization reports to our customers so they can review where their robots are being run, how often, and by whom. One customer requested metrics from other hospitals. She wanted to measure and compare the efficiency (number of rooms addressed per day per robot) of their facility against other hospitals around the U.S. so they can share their EVS team’s success with management at their hospital. Obviously, we can’t share the hospital names with them but we are able to tell them how their team ranks versus other facilities nationwide, and they’ve found that this helps motivate them to continue to maximize utilization of their LightStrike robots. Example 2: Xenex prides itself on customer service and part- nering with its customers to help them solve their challenges. We were recently approached by a hospital that was experiencing a challenging situation with C.diff spores in a specific unit in their facility. As a longtime customer, they are aware of the LightStrike robot’s efficacy against C.diff spores and wanted to treat all the rooms in that unit with a LightStrike robot. They asked their Xenex sales rep for a loaner robot so they could continue operating their LightStrike robots throughout the day in other rooms within the facility (per their standard operating protocols) and focus the loaner robot on reducing the number of C.diff spores within the targeted unit. We quickly shipped them a loaner robot, and they were able to treat all rooms within the targeted unit while their LightStrike robots continued being used in other parts of the hospital.
Rodger Mack How the customer eliminated the challenge from happen-
ing again and what preventive measures were implemented either by the vendor and/or the customer: Stopping the spread of pathogens within their facility is a top priority for healthcare leaders. Xenex team members work closely with our customers to understand their goals and develop standard operating protocols for their LightStrike robots to help them reach those goals. We believe that ongoing communication with our customers is one of the things that sets us apart from other vendors. For example, recognizing the turnover challenge within many hospitals, we offer a comprehensive online training program to teach new team members about their robots and how to use them. Whether itrs getting our Science Team on the phone with a customer that is battling a specific pathogen, providing a loaner robot if needed, or arranging for training for new employees, we want to do everything possible to help our customers succeed.
Rodger Mack, executive vice president, Operations, Xenex Corp.
Curvo Labs Specific challenge the customer faced: This 400+-bed, nonprofit community medical center struggled with medical device con- tracts, in particular a three-year battle with total joints pricing. The medical center provides a range of services to a West Coast metropolis and adjacent counties. The hospital had tried to get total joints pricing reduced for three years without success. The seasoned Supply Chain Director knew the prices were too high but lacked the data and bench strength to go after it. The cost reduction initiative wasn’t getting trac- tion with surgeons, and suppliers were ignoring them. The supply chain leader was running into a brick wall, and frustration was high. . How the challenge was addressed and solved directly or
Joe Jackson
by assisting the customer: We repaid customer trust with significant savings opportunities. Curvo came in, looked at the data and agreed their pricing was too high. How Curvo took action: • Leveraged benchmarking data ● Analyzed physician total joint utilization data from health system
• Led two rounds of negotiation with suppliers • Reduced total joints cost by 16% ($300,000) “We successfully leveraged data and our expertise for a nice
balance between automation and services to drive a really good result,” explained Joe Jackson, vice president of Customer Experience, Curvo Labs. The process kicked off in late August and finished with a contract signing in October – less than two months. Not a bad result after years without progress. “It’s not at all unusual for these projects to drag on for months,” Jackson said. “I think suppliers move faster because we know the information as well as they do.” While other hospitals have bigger Total Joints spend, for this medical center, the 16% savings represented a big win. “Usually, in one contract cycle, if I can get eight to 10 percent, I’m happy. Getting 16 percent is excellent. It’s a significant movement,” he declared.
Joe Jackson, vice president, Customer Experience, Curvo Labs
10 December 2023 • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS •
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