More than 60 supply chain experts from 34 organizations gathered for the Health Industry Distributors Association’s Supply Chain Visibility Conference to discuss best practices learned from the pandemic.
The fourth annual conference, held in Cape Coral, Fla. Feb. 8-10, resulted from the work of the association's Healthcare Supply Chain Collaborative, which addresses end-to-end supply chain challenges, according to a Feb. 16 news release from the company.
Seven key takeaways:
1. Building trust with trading partners is essential for sharing information and communicating effectively.
2. Collaboration among supply chain stakeholders will help the nationwide navigation out of pandemic-induced challenges.
3. Healthcare supply chain talent must be cultivated.
4. Data-sharing creates an integrated supply chain, builds stronger partnerships and enables scalability.
5. Visibility begins with raw materials and country of origin and ends with the patient.
6. Visibility depends on trading partners’ adoption of standards for reporting and formatting.
7. Allocation of resources is a powerful tool that must be supported by clear communication between trading partners.