We have read several articles in leading supply chain publications (healthcare and industry) asking the question, “What do you need in a value analysis supplier/partner to be successful?” The consensus from these articles is that it all boils down to these four attributes:
4 Attributes You Should Look for In Your Healthcare Value Analysis Suppliers
1. Expertise. If a supplier doesn’t know their product line backward and forward (and how to apply them to your situation) they have no business being on your partner list. They are just wasting your time and money!
2. Problem-Solver. Value analysis in its purest form is all about problem-solving. If your supplier just wants new business and isn’t interested in solving your problems (i.e., cost, quality, and safety) then don’t consider them as a partner.
3. Support. Making product, service, or technology changes of any kind requires a lot of work, persistence, and communications. If your supplier isn’t interested in investing the time and effort to make positive change happen in coordination with your value analysis team, forget them.
4. Value. If your supplier is offering products, services, and technologies that you can get anywhere, why are you wasting your time evaluating their offerings? Look for partners that dramatically increase your savings, quality, or safety by quantum leaps – not inches.
We personally like to do business with healthcare value analysis suppliers/partners who make our jobs easier, take the risk out of buying, and who follow up during and after the sale to make sure we are satisfied with the results. That’s the kind of value analysis supplier/partner who will make your value analysis initiatives successful in the short and long run. Do you think that all of your value analysis suppliers/partners (including your GPOs) meet this criteria?
Articles you may like:
Healthcare Value Analysis: Brainstorming Myths and Missed Opportunities
Using Hospital Value Analysis Analytics to Improve Your Batting Average