If you’re a healthcare manager, you probably spend a lot of your day thinking about medical equipment supplies. Whether you are responsible for a small regional clinic or a large metropolitan hospital, supplies are essential so that your clinicians can provide top quality patient care.
However, sourcing these supplies is not always a simple task. Perhaps you have worked with a number of different suppliers in the past and are yet to find a company that can deliver what you need, on time and at a reasonable price. Or, maybe your facility is just opening its doors and you are searching for a supplier who can help you start off on the right foot.
Regardless of your situation, you should be looking for the same key attributes in your equipment supplier. Continue reading to discover top tips on choosing a reliable medical equipment supplier.
Understand Your Needs
The first step in choosing a dependable medical equipment supplier is having a well-developed understanding as to what you are expecting them to deliver.
Make a list of every single product you need to run your healthcare facility. Hopefully a lot of this information will be readily available. However, it’s well worth reviewing past purchase orders and current stock levels to get an informed idea of supplies you most commonly use and those that have become less than necessary.
Ideally, you will want to partner with the one supplier for all of your medical equipment needs. Having the one point of contact will simplify your role significantly. So, once you have finalised your list, you can begin to look for suppliers that match your needs.
Look Local
One of the main decisions you will have to make is choosing between a local and international supplier. While there are advantages to both, opting to work with a local company is definitely the way to go.
There are many reasons for this. To start with, a local medical equipment supplier will have a complete understanding of the industry, including what constraints you are operating under. Their equipment will therefore meet all regulatory requirements; in the case of Australia, these are laid out by the Therapeutic Goods Association.
By working with an Australian supplier, you will also be supporting local industry, which is always a good approach to take.
Plan your Budget
There’s no denying the fact that medical equipment supplies can be quite expensive. The cost of both capital and consumable equipment can quickly add up, making it very important that you plan out your budget before you commence the buying process.
When planning your budget, consider the lifetime cost of equipment. In the case of capital devices, such as an ultrasound, this includes the cost of on-going maintenance and any parts that may need to be replaced.
You should also be aware that quality equipment and supplies will cost more. While you might be attracted to suppliers that offer cheap prices and big discounts, the trade-off will most likely be an inferior product. When purchasing medical equipment supplies, you are really investing in the level of patient care that you are able to provide. With that in mind, this really isn’t an area of your budget that you should be looking to cut corners on.
Ask for Recommendations
You can conduct as much research as possible but nothing will be as valuable as a good word of mouth recommendation. Reach out to other companies within your industry to see which suppliers they have worked with in the past. Ask about their prices, turnaround times, the quality of products and level of customer service.
This type of information will be very useful in narrowing down potential suppliers to a shortlist.
Make a Shortlist
Once you have established a shortlist of suppliers you are interested in, it’s time to reach out to each company to discover a little more about them. Most medical equipment suppliers have a product portfolio that they are happy to share with authorised healthcare providers.
By speaking with a supplier about your specific needs, you will be able to get a good idea as to their level of experience and whether they have the resources and personnel to deliver what you need.
Make Sure You Are Covered
The last thing you should do before settling on a supplier is making sure you fully understand their service and warranty policies. As mentioned, medical equipment supplies can be incredibly costly. The last thing you want is to make a sizable investment, only to find that the device doesn’t work as promised and you are not covered legally for your purchase.
Don’t be afraid to have your legal team look at any contracts before you sign them and know that a reliable medical equipment supplier will be completely upfront about the kind of service and warranty that they offer.
