Volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA) have plagued medtech’s supply chain since the pandemic. Drug shortages last year hit their highest levels in a decade, with 99% of hospital and health system pharmacists experiencing medicinal dearths, according to an American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP) survey.
There has been a plethora of strikes, potential strikes and disruptions in the last few years. In fact, the threat of strikes has made its way through the supply chain.
According to the WorldMetrics.org report, 89% of manufacturers believe automation is key to increasing productivity. More importantly to increasing profitable growth, the report also finds that automation reduces manufacturing lead time by 75%.
The medical device market is expected to grow by almost $178 billion from 2023 to 2027 according to Technavio. Moreover, a Fortune Business Insights Analysis estimates the market to reach $799 billion by 2030. With such significant growth, manufacturing and supply chains must scale and mitigate risk to ensure supplies to customers and patients.
There are around 3 million industrial robots in use worldwide, and the market is expected to grow to $45 billion by 2028. At a minimum, robots can perform routine tasks with consistent quality. At a maximum, robots will be a strategic advantage to your business. It is no wonder clients are implementing them at a fast pace and investing widely.
Enterprise resource planning systems, CRMs and other tech such as RFID, barcoding, customer and supplier portals, blockchain, IoT, and GPS tracking all support this goal.
Pay alone will not suffice. In our experience, the most important priority to retaining top talent is company culture and leadership.
The world has never experienced a labor shortage quite like the one we are experiencing. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment growth will average .3 over the next decade; however, labor participation will drop from 62.2% to 60.4%.
Automation is coming, whether or not we get on board. Most executives do not want to be the guinea pig for new technology as they cannot afford disruption and risk.
Medtech companies’ focus on supply chain resiliency and mitigating supply chain risk has increased over the last few years as the pandemic triggered extended lead times, delays, and rising costs.
