Case Study: How This Vice President of Operations Reduced Field Inventory & Increased Turns

Frank* is a Vice President of Operations that has worked in the orthopedic medical device industry for over 25 years.

The Problem: Major Organizational Challenges

Outdated Processes: All scheduling and sourcing was done manually, via paper case requests and paper schedules.
Disconnected Systems: The software that managed the resources ran independently of the billing and replenishment processes.
Poor Visibility: Inventory management and schedule suffered do to lack of visibility and accountability.

Frustrations & Pain Points  

Due to the fact that the scheduling and sourcing was done manually, a lot of time and expense were required to complete even basic tasks.
The main issue with having separate software systems for inventory management and restocking/billing was the duplication of efforts. The processes also varied greatly.
Confidence with the data on the inventory and sales side was low.
Inventory and Sales Reporting were inaccurate due to two distinct products being used.

The Journey to Change

Frank knew a change was needed when:

Resources were pushed to their limits due to sales growth while the lack of confidence with resource management caused unnecessary follow-ups.
As cycle counts and audits were completed, the work to investigate variances was too onerous and therefore sometimes not completed.
The disconnect between the sales force and the operational team limited growth and unity within the teams.

Why Frank Selected the Team and Product from Movemedical

Efficiency: The mobile application allowed the sales force to communicate their case needs while creating a case schedule for the operations team to manage, including a better lead time for planning.
Unified Processes: The product combined case requests with a scheduling component while providing the sourcing within the same platform as the restocking and billing processes
Proper Sales & Ops Alignment: The platform could easily support the sales team’s and operation teams future growth. The flexibility to work in groups allows for alignment now and in the future.

The Implementation Experience

The training and certification supplied by the Movemedical team were crucial to the success of the implementation. The clearly defined goals and timelines provided to all users as they trained were pivotal to the success of the implementation. The experience was a journey that needed to be managed in multiple steps that were aligned with the overall goals. The reporting tools provided helped in managing the implementation process.

The 5-Step Process That Leads to Supply Chain Value and Optimization

Case Communication: consolidating all schedules in one online (mobile & desktop) system
Requirements: sharing exact needs/preferences for each case
Execution: making sure the tools are utilized to execute (sourcing, picking, delivering, usage) each case
Planning: creating better workflows and processes, reducing inventory
Advanced Patient Data & Optimization: integrating with other systems, promoting deeper surgeon relationships, saving costs

Where Value Was Created

Turns were increased by 129%
Inventory reduced by 28%
Process: The fact that all the steps are managed within one system by every user is the most important feature.
Goal Alignment: There is no better way for everyone to focus on the same goal: Growing sales while controlling cost and risk to the business.
Time: The sales team is allowed to spend more time selling while understanding the steps it takes to support the sales cycle.
Collaboration: The sales team has been able to support every case variable and/or resource limitation since the communication of these variables are much earlier in the process.
Creativity: The operational team services have expanded to more out-of-the-box thinking based on a thorough knowledge of the sales cycle and value of sales performance.

Results: Visibility Like No Other

“There is no better alternative to your product. Real-time data supplied from the sales force to the operational team allowing them to perform at the highest efficiency with excellent reporting can’t be beaten.”

Processes were aligned and modernized.
Systems were connected and rolled into one platform.
Visibility was achieved.

“The confidence in the tracking and reporting of resources associated with sales has made everyone a better teammate and manager within the company.”

Other Results and More

Frank says that as a result of using the platform:

“We gained better efficiencies in every area: employee output, employee growth, resource management, cost control, and ‘one team’ working on the same goals together. The ability to repurpose operational employees due to the efficiencies created has allowed the company to focus on every aspect of the business. Day-to-day management is now separate from asset and sales management.”

“The pride created from successful or multiple successful events is contagious – success is not just the total sum of the sale. Our customer experience is what keeps the doors open, and this software allows us to do our jobs better.”

The #1 Reason to Use Movemedical

The ever-changing environment of medical sales demands a flexible and agile business that is always looking towards future challenges while managing current needs. The Movemedical team and platform provide the tools to conquer this complexity.

Call to get started on your field inventory optimization journey: info@movemedical.com or 877.469.3992

CUSTOMIZE YOUR PERSONAL DEMO NOW

*name changed due to client/employer confidentiality agreement

[ Medical device manufacturers use Movemedical when they are ready to gain true inventory control and visibility while increasing sales and strengthening physician relationships.]

A good field inventory solution is worth its weight in gold, a fully integrated medical device specific operations and sales force effectiveness platform is priceless.

A complete tool should be able to or have:

CRM / Case & Opportunity Management
Directed Picking & Put-away (Bin Mapped)
Surgery Scheduling (+ Calendar)
Active Order Visibility
Shipping Coordination (FedEx, UPS Integration)
Customer/Account Management
Opportunity/Lead Management
Surgeon Preferences / Preference Cards
Inventory Control & Visibility (All Locations, All Buckets)
Auto Product Replenishment
Commission Calculations
Expiration Notifications
Direct Orders
Send & Receive Tools (Rep to Rep etc.)
Contract & List Pricing (Real-time)
Audit/Cycle Counts
Reporting & Billing
Image & File Sharing
Secure HIPAA Compliant Communication
Mobile Usage Capture
UDI Compliance
Barcode Scanning
RFID Integration & RFID Reconciling (HF/UHF)
ERP/CRM/EMR Integrations
Demand Planning Tools
Consignment/Loaner Management
Pluggable Workflows (Programmatic Integrations, Integrated Prediction Models)
Sourcing Matrix Tool
HIPAA Compliant Communication Platform (Messages, Calendar, Usage, Notes, Files)
Sourcing Optimization
Future Stock (Virtual Inventory Assigned to Future Events)
Atomic Inventory (UDI Ready, Piece Level Tracking, Serialized or Not)
Hybrid Kitting (Skinny Kits, Kit Management, Kit Versioning, Tracking)
Cross Boundary Workflows
Lost & Found (Automatic Cycle Counting )
Merger/Acquisition Integration
Par Management
Multi-Catalog Management
Loan Optimization (1 Loan Per Day)
Separate or Combined Sales & Operations Alignment
Cost-to-Serve Metrics
Turn Ratio Dashboards
Sales Metrics / Data (Reps, Leaders, Corporate)