Recognizing Medline’s supply chain: A team with resilience in its veins

Recognizing Medline's supply chain: A team with resilience in its veins

Customer service agents also in spotlight specifically during overlapping weeks of appreciation for front-line 'problem-solvers'

"Excellence in every link" is the theme of this year's National Health Care Supply Chain Week, observed annually the first full week of October. But as Medline celebrates the 12,000-plus employees who make up its supply chain organization through manufacturing, distribution, operations and customer service, CEO Jim Boyle has an even better metaphor - one that most of Medline's customers know well.

"The supply chain, in and of itself, is basically like the circulatory system of a human body," said Boyle, who joins Steve Miller, executive vice president, supply chain operations, in the video below recognizing the Medline teams' resilience in supporting organizations, communities and, most of all, patients. "Without it, you just can't function. You can't operate. And I see the same thing within healthcare."

A "by the numbers" look at the size and reach of Medline's supply chain operation is enough to get the blood pumping:

• More than 335,000 different products distributed to customers across the continuum of healthcare - more than 190,000 of them Medline brand solutions
• 50-plus distribution centers and 20-plus manufacturing sites across North America
• 28 million square feet of warehousing
• 1,900 robots in place to help employees fulfill product orders faster
• 24/7/365 operations to make sure customers continue to receive the supplies they need, with 95% of customers in the U.S. receiving Medline deliveries within one day
• 1,800 drivers and 2,000 trucks in the MedTrans fleet operation

As always, the essential ingredient is the people - empowered by Medline to speak up to propose improvements and solutions to get products to caregivers even more efficiently.

"We continue to invest in infrastructure, we continue to invest in technology, but the reality is the human beings who actually engage day-to-day are what make our supply chain successful," Boyle said. "You can put all the technology in the world into it, but ultimately, you have to get that box to the right place. And that is heavily contingent on how successful our supply chain team members are."

For in-depth examples of what this success can look like, provider partners are encouraged to read through "8 Success Stories Redefining Partnership," an eBook that Medline published earlier this year capturing supply-chain case studies involving leading healthcare systems. Partnering collaboratively with Medline on subjects such as consolidated service centers, data-driven decision-making, price accuracy and product standardization, these healthcare institutions were able to build resilience into their overall supply chain operations and inventory management, preparing them for whatever might come their way in pursuit of the best patient outcomes.

"From distribution to transportation to procurement to inventory-management teams to engineers to operational excellence, our employees are dedicated, resilient problem-solvers," Miller said. "Supply chain professionals in healthcare know the impact they have. They feel it.

"And partnership is everything. Because when you have a strong partnership underneath, that is a foundation of trust. And you earn that trust over time by delivering on your commitments. That's what we do at Medline. We deliver on our commitments. Once you do that, your ability to work with customers, share your problems and solve and create value for them only increases."

Extra attention on customer service reps

If the supply chain is Medline's circulatory system, then its customer service department could also be the ears and voice, with more than 1,000 employees working with customers to resolve their needs, educate them about products, create and manage orders and smooth out logistical challenges.

These front-line professionals - based out of Dubuque, Iowa; Libertyville, Ill., and three locations in California - are getting their due as well in early October during Customer Service Week, an international recognition of the employees who manage phones and inboxes in direct support of customers. Medline's crew is particularly experienced, with 54% having been with the company at least four years. Over the last two decades, Medline also has a turnover rate of 10% or less in customer service, while attrition rates at contact centers across the industry are frequently 40% or higher.

"We have worked hard to create a culture where each of our customer service team members are known and feel empowered, which has set us up to thrive and increase our impact for Medline and those we serve," said Renee Poppe, senior vice president, customer service. "Our goal is to make every customer feel like our only customer.

They want a quick, knowledgeable, tailored, personal experience, and our team does just that.

"Every day, I see how our customer service family shows up for our customers, our sales reps and each other. And I remind them over and over: 'You matter here. We are not normal - we're rare.' The work they do and who they are is what makes Medline successful."

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