21-05-2024

Increasing productivity through new ways of working

According to René, purchasing is about more than just price. It’s about the balance between supply and demand in the market. If we look at the medical supplies market, this balance doesn’t exist. This is also compounded by a shortage of capacity in his department.

''If you don't have enough hands and can't get enough hands, then you need to look at ways to make the task easier. That was the trigger for us to take a serious look at QurioCare's platform two years ago. The key question was whether it was possible to increase productivity by adjusting our way of working and looking differently at entry selection criteria for suppliers. And this is exactly what happens on the QurioCare platform. By sharing knowledge and data generated on the platform during tenders, we improve the efficiency of the tender process.”

Thinking outside the box offers opportunities and potential crucial change

The number of purchasing collaborations and initiatives in healthcare have increased in recent years. Unfortunately, the desired results have not materialized. According to René, this has everything to do with the fact that healthcare is a highly protocolized industry that likes to stick to existing and familiar conventions.

Synchronizing all local requirements and protocols hinders collaboration, but the QurioCare platform now removes that obstacle. By creating baskets of products for participating healthcare institutions, the platform generates significant volumes for the supplier market without requiring healthcare institutions to synchronize their needs.

René calls this thinking outside the box of the existing model. “Instead of all hospitals going directly to the catering wholesaler Sligro to purchase their catering supplies, you see suppliers going to Sligro and then offering this to hospitals. With this simple example, you see how an apparently simple tool - which of course requires a lot of energy, time, knowledge and skills - can play a major role in changing the way we work and purchase.”

Act now to implement urgently needed change together

René sees strong potential for this way of working together, but also challenges. He identifies two important conditions for maximizing the potential of the platform. First of all, it’s important that there are sufficient participants to set the flywheel in motion. Speaking from personal experience, he’s aware of how much effort it took to free someone’s time up for this within his department. Although it ultimately increases the level of efficiency, this often remains a blocker.

Another consideration is the implementation within the healthcare institution itself. This must run as smoothly as possible for the users and stakeholders within the organization. The efficiencies offered by the platform create time for buyers to properly supervise the implementation for users. “An external party cannot solve that for us.”

René is hopeful for the future and believes, “that an initiative like the QurioCare platform can actually contribute to a higher degree of efficiency in our purchasing activities and achieving urgently needed change”.

René Dullaart, Procurement and Logistics Manager at Erasmus MC