Specialty Distributors Promise Sales and Efficient Distribution

Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry Magazine
MDDI Article Index

An MD&DI August 1997 Column

To the Editor:

I applaud your focus on distribution in the May 1997 issue with the feature, "The Supply Chain: Operational Efficiency Is No Longer Just an Option." The importance of this often-overlooked function--getting products from manufacturers to end-users--can't be stated enough.

The article spoke primarily to manufacturers of commodity items, whose primary concern is moving large quantities of product to hospital customers. This begs the question: Who is actually selling end-users on the benefits of these products? Who is actually standing next to clinicians and showing them how to use these devices?

While I couldn't agree more that the entire supply chain must become more efficient, I also believe that small manufacturers and those with innovative, noncommodity devices are finding it more difficult than ever to get their products in front of end-users in the first place. That's what specialty sales and marketing organizations, such as the members of the Independent Medical Distributors Association, help manufacturers do.

IMDA members also offer excellent distribution capabilities such as 98% fill rates and next-day delivery to end-users. And for manufacturers, we perform many of the same functions as the third-party logistics companies mentioned in the article: transportation, warehousing, storage, processing, inventory management, and product fulfillment.

IMDA members are also outsourcing specialists. First and foremost, we are sales and marketing organizations. Our representatives spend every day with clinical and economic customers. Second, we are distribution experts. We accept the burden of stocking products, filling orders, providing customer service, and managing accounts receivable.

Efficiency is a must; our industry has to move forward on this score. But so is exciting, innovative medical technology. The only people bringing it to end-users are specialty sales and marketing organizations.

Steven Picheny
President
Stepic Medical
Long Island City, NY, and
Chairman of the Board
Independent Medical Distributors Association

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