Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals have found many types of critical medical products (equipment, supplies, accessories, etc.) extremely hard to obtain. Demand is simply greater than suppliers can keep up with, and many products are on backorder or subject to limited allocations. And, as a result, many hospitals have large-quantity orders of significant items pending that they are unable to get filled. Hospitals are scrambling for new big ideas that can help alleviate the pressure, but the best solution might be smaller than you think.
Try placing a smaller order. Amid the challenges of the pandemic, suppliers are trying hard to fulfill orders of critical medical products as quickly as possible for as many hospitals as possible. Sequestering a significant amount of products for a single order can be a difficult challenge in the best of times, and the shortages caused by the pandemic can make it exponentially harder. Filling small-batch orders typically requires far less coordination between teams that are already moving as quickly as they can. It’s almost always easier for suppliers to fill smaller orders, and they often have the ability to expedite these lower quantities – sometimes, as quickly as overnight.
One community hospital recently learned this when trying to navigate a national shortage of fetal scalp electrodes. They had been waiting for weeks for their regular order to be filled, and the hospital was on the verge of running out completely. In a last-ditch effort, they discovered that if they requested an ‘emergency allocation’ and placed a request for just a single case, the order could be approved and shipped immediately to arrive overnight – preventing them from running out and buying them more time to secure a larger volume of electrodes in the future. And while ordering smaller quantities of critical medical products may not always be possible, it can make for a great short-term solution when you can make it work.