ExecutiveChronicles | How Should Medical Businesses Ship Supplies? | Healthcare, medical, clinical, lab, and pharmaceutical businesses are some of the most important in modern society, but they are also under the most pressure when it comes to their products and equipment. One wrong shipment or a damaged tool can be more than just a hassle – it can actively endanger another person.
Businesses and organizations like this will constantly review their existing supply methods, choosing only the best options for each situation. But how do these businesses actually get their supplies, and what kind of factors should they prioritize most?
Planning
A large part of moving any medical equipment is planning ahead, especially when actual medicine is involved. Everything from the packaging to the number of products being moved at once can all make a difference, especially when those shipments involve fragile items.
There are also details like customs requirements and shipping-related issues that might have to be taken care of, some of which will vary depending on the exact kind of shipping that a business uses. Not following the restrictions and requirements can lead to delays or packages being sent back rather than shipped.
Shipment Method
There are three main ways to ship something: by land, by sea, or by air. All three have their own benefits and drawbacks, but some are much more useful than others when dealing with important supplies like medicine and medical equipment.
Land-based delivery is the norm for most local healthcare, medical, clinical, lab, and pharmaceutical businesses and is also the most flexible. However, this also makes it average in terms of speed, and there is always a chance of shipments getting split up or part of an order being lost/delayed.
Air freight is much faster but comes with added costs, making it a great utility option for quick deliveries or emergencies where supplies are desperately needed. Sea freight is the opposite, staying slow and steady but offering a high capacity that can move products in bulk with ease.
Most companies will use a combination of these different options, but it really depends on each individual product. Something that is bulk-bought might be best delivered early by sea, whereas last-minute purchases can be moved quickly by air instead.
Packaging and Tracking
Hospital supplies can be very fragile, and some can easily break or suffer irrepressible damage if they are mishandled during shipping. Proper packaging is important since damage to medical supplies can lead to serious issues further down the line.
Tracking shipments also makes it much easier to know where each item actually is, which can be important if there are multiple delivery destinations that all operate on a tight schedule. Knowing if something is on track to be delivered late can help avoid sudden problems with scheduling in the future.
No matter what methods a company uses, though, the shipping has to match their needs perfectly. This often means a lot of trial and error, as well as careful planning weeks before the first shipment is even made. A lot of thought needs to go into every shipping expense and each step of a major delivery.
Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash
