CUSTOMER PROFILE

This Medical-Surgical Supplier (MSS) is a leading pharmaceutical distributor, provider of medical supplies and healthcare IT Company. MSS manages over $120 billion in annual sales.

THE CHALLENGE

MSS was in a rapid growth for their automation business. As health care regulations intensified, the requirements for meeting that demand grew significantly. MSS had already attempted to use an electronic Kanban system but they were unable to grow with it as rapidly as needed. MSS was also having troubles getting the suppliers to adapt to that system.

OUR SOLUTION

MSS started by using the Collaborative Supply Portal from Ultriva. With a short deployment time MSS was able to meet the demands of the growing marketplace. MSS was able to deploy using a standard Kanban method and also use consignment to control their overhead.

THE RESULTS

MSS was able to reduce the inventory of the items the put on Ultriva by nearly 50% and increase turns by nearly 100%. This was mainly due to driving suppliers to Kanban and reducing the lead time through standardized ordering methods. They also realized a 50% reduction in supply chain administrative costs.

Other intangible results include improved communication between the shop floor and suppliers and a sharpened competitive edge thorough faster delivery of custom products. Ultriva’s Web-Based software allows suppliers to log into the Cloud, eliminating the need for suppliers to install any new software or invest in any special equipment. This helped speed supplier adaption. Today MSS has over 65 suppliers using the Ultriva Collaborative Supply Portal.

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