Cost Savings are Top of Mind for Supply Chain Leaders, Says Study

According to a Feb. 27 press release, symplr, a provider of enterprise healthcare operations software, unveiled the results from the company’s recent “State of Healthcare Supply Chain Survey.” The findings show supply chain leaders’ dedication to optimize spending and improve patient outcomes.

The press release says that “Key priorities identified by supply chain leaders include cost savings (63%), strategic resource allocation (24%), and process standardization (8%), driven by top challenges such as margin pressures (28%), inconsistent processes (22%), and staffing or resourcing (20%).”

Further, “Supply chain costs are expected to rise due to global bottlenecks, reflecting broader market trends highlighted by a recent Deloitte study. This reinforces the need for enhanced collaboration between clinicians and supply chain leaders, as well as the need for data-driven approaches when evaluating and introducing new products in their provider organizations.”

Other findings from symplr's “State of Healthcare Supply Chain” include: 

• 48% of respondents reported the most significant barrier to evidence-based decision-making at their organizations was stakeholders having different priorities and operating in silos
• 28% of respondents said they were “very confident” they had a unified approach to new product evaluation and introduction across their organization
• 32% of respondents said they were “very confident” that their organization accurately tracks savings targets associated with their capital and operational budgets
• 19% of respondents were “very confident” that their physicians/clinicians are supportive of supply chain activities
• 32% of respondents said their supply chain team is not fully staffed to pre-pandemic levels

Janie Ott, vice president of Spend Management at The University of Kansas Health System was quoted in the release saying that “At our organization, we prioritize creating cross-functional teams, including clinical representation, to unify stakeholders, ensure voices are heard, and find solutions that provide clinical and financial value. Breaking down silos starts with conversations that build trust and peer-to-peer discussions that weave expertise together, providing the foundation for impactful change.” 

The survey was based on responses of approximately 100 VPs of Supply Chain, Chief Supply Chain Officers, and Directors of Supply Chain at hospitals and health systems in the U.S. 

symplr has the press release.