Value-added aftermarket services in the MedTech sector
The background
With a long track-record of delivering high-impact healthcare innovation, our client is focused on providing the right treatment for the very best outcome, for the benefit of customers located around the world.
Demand within the MedTech sector has increased dramatically in recent years, and manufacturers and distributors are under increasing pressure to deliver improved efficiencies such as increased engineer up-time, reduced machine downtime and increased first-time fix-rates. Ultimately, the efficiencies sought from this type of digital supply chain solution will help meet strict SLAs and avoid costly penalties.
Critical deadlines in healthcare, mean timing is everything. That’s why our client needed a highly specialised partner like Carousel. Here at Carousel, we understand that the availability and reliability of spare parts are critical to our client’s success and this is just one of the reasons why we are trusted by world-leading brands.
In 2019 we were approached to help design a solution that consistently delivery early morning and pre-breakfast deliveries across the whole of the UK; this even included to some of the more ‘challenging’ areas such as the Isle of Wight and Scotland. Our client was facing some key challenges which they were looking to address through a new logistics solution.
Key challenges:
- Inconsistent and unreliable delivery times in remote areas such as the Isle of Wight and rural Scotland
- Engineers unable to locate consignments once delivered to hospitals
- Lack of visibility of consignments in real-time, at a centralised source
- Reduced engineer productivity and efficiency.
Our approach
After a detailed consultation with our client, we carried out a trial of hospital deliveries in Scotland to improve the consistency of deliveries, to increase engineer efficiency and enhance the service team’s visibility.
Our client utilises Carousel’s By:NIGHT service – an out of hours (in night) delivery service to move their crucial spare parts and urgent consignments. Via our own trusted network, we deliver goods at any time, no matter the size or weight and even with item scanning. We offer full track and trace on all deliveries, giving our client visibility, control and total piece of mind.
Following a successful trial, this solution is now being rolled out across the rest of the UK.
Engineer Returns
One of the most challenging areas for our client was the returns management process for unused or defective spare parts. Their existing process required engineers to contact the service team to make a returns request – including completing lengthy returns forms and labels. The engineer would then need to drop the item off to a locker for return. This was a convoluted process that was not time-efficient and had the potential for human error.
We worked closely with our client to implement a fully customised app that allows engineers to capture all vital information and direct the return to a particular returns flow. This is a streamlined process where engineers simply attach a pre-printed label and use the app to raise the return, which is then collected directly from the hospital – reducing time and increasing engineer capacity and productivity.
The result
Together with our client, we have created a seamless delivery and transparent returns process that will enable engineers to work as efficiently as possible.
Our tech-enabled logistics solution simplifies our client’s supply chain management and offers real-time visibility. Because on-time performance is crucial, we’ve made it possible for our clients to monitor their logistics 24/7 and make sure everything is running according to plan or quickly act if it’s not.
Some of the value-added benefits our solution now bring includes:
- Reduced returns processing time for the service team
- Reduced processing time for engineers
- Fast return transport of valuable spare parts
- Visibility of returns throughout the entire process.
Read more about the work we do for our clients in the Life Science sector.