Supply Chain Optimization for Medical Equipment

The COVID-19 pandemic was marked by wide-ranging supply chain shortages for medical equipment, ranging from PPE and gloves to respirators and other critical products. It also revealed that many organizations have an opportunity to strengthen supply chains against future disruption by moving beyond reliance on outdated or disconnected systems, maverick purchasing, and purely transactional relationships with suppliers. After discussing some of the top challenges for medical equipment supply chains, this article explores three areas that organizations should focus on to build stronger and more resilient medical product supply chains: process, technology, and supplier relationships.