Resiliency: Taking supply chain management forward 

Speaker(s): Rachel Martin, AVP, Resiliency & SCO Strategy, Vizient

Lee Ayers, Sr. Director, Supply Chain Operations, Sutter Health

Healthcare supply chain leaders routinely indicate that managing supply disruptions is the greatest operational challenge they face.  This was true before the COVID-19 pandemic, but even more evident now as we see how unplanned events can greatly impact the entire healthcare value chain.  Efficient flow of goods requires channel coordination across multiple trading partners between the point of origin and the point of patient care.  Minimizing disturbances requires visibility and alignment of the complete value chain.  However, transparency has been historically hard to come by.  This lack of transparency creates a gap between suppliers and providers which often leads to high inventories, sporadic demand cycles, inaccurate forecasting, and supply disruptions.  With the right collaboration, the healthcare supply chain could be more efficiently managed, adding value to suppliers, distributors, and providers.