Fremont, CA: Healthcare systems have been under pressure since the COVID-19 outbreak. Rapid mobilization of personnel and equipment has become an absolute necessity. During this time, there have been severe shortages of necessary medical supplies, protective equipment, etc. In addition, countries worldwide are trying to fulfill unpredictable demand, causing sourcing and logistical challenges.
• Inaccurate inventory data
One of the most severe issues in managing medical resources is a lack of visibility into hospital inventory. During the peak days of COVID-19, in-hospital software systems had major performance issues. According to reports from renowned medical institutions, they even ran out of disc space to hold patients' data.
• Broken supply chains
Hospitals rely excessively on distributors and third-party logistics. Their procurement method is rigid, making it difficult to respond rapidly to a crisis. Procurement and supply chain management, like inventory management, should become a bigger priority for healthcare centers, mainly because they're not specialized in these tasks.
