Vendor Management Expert | Jeff Wertz

If you think the rep uses your facility as a storage facility, you’re probably right. And, if they are the only one who knows what is there, why wouldn’t they? Consignment inventory are like taxes: everyone has them and it’s much easier to have someone else handle and hope you don’t get audited down the…

Beyond providing important emotional support, a primary reason (in addition to product expertise) reps are so necessary is because they are often the surgeon’s most reliable “preference card.” I recently heard a surgeon describe their rep as the only reliable constant between all their different hospitals. In addition to making sure the correct instrumentation and…

The vast majority of late loaners are related to breakdowns in communication. Some hospitals believe if they could control the process for notifying the reps it will solve it. If they implement an automated notification process, they wouldn’t have any problems. But, this overlooks many of the challenges in getting to that reliable point. Many…

If you feel like you have become a storage facility, you’re probably right. And I get it’s challenging. Unless you have the strictest closed-loop system where every tray is scanned to a case and back through every step or to a shelf, it’s very easy for a rep to remove a tray for another facility….

An SPD manager can have all the high hopes in the world to set up and establish a great vendor program but without clinical support, they don’t stand a chance. The surgeon and the rep are already on the same team. So, when reps see or hear clinical teams make comments of frustration or misunderstanding…

For context, please refer to Part I… The rep often feels like they are set up to fail with vendor policies. The variation between each facility is hard enough to navigate, but it’s become even more challenging sourcing inventory with more ASCs and some facilities require back-ups for every tray delivered. Those trays I am…

It’s easy to complain about the reps being a problem for the facility. What’s harder is understanding the different factors leading to those issues (so many trays, late delivery, etc.). Realistically, there are challenges on both sides. Because of this complexity, I’m breaking this into two parts: One reviewing how facilities can better approach their…

When asking healthcare leaders if they have a challenge managing their vendors, the best response I have heard is, “We have a few great rep partners, but there’s definitely some bad ones.” When I ask how they know, it’s mostly based on feelings. No measurement or ratings, just their general feeling. Why? For a good…

Not allowing reps access to the surgical schedule creates more risk than it solves. If you’ve worked in ortho and spine cases, it’s likely you have experienced a situation where a patient is on the table but the implants or instruments are nowhere to be found because the rep wasn’t notified. This is usually the…

Recently, a hospital system announced they would be charging $100 per loaner tray delivered. This approach certainly shines a spotlight on a complex challenge and forces a serious conversation between all parties – which I love to see. However, this policy treats a symptom, not the disease. Vendors object that they are providing this equipment…