Two Dallas-area companies are teaming up to make the healthcare supply chain smarter and more efficient. National healthcare services company Vizient and intelligent business platform One Network Enterprises are pushing through the development of a new two-sided marketplace for healthcare supplies in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Together, they aim to get essential supplies into the right hands, faster.
Through a new agreement, the companies plan to optimize the supply chain through technology to improve transparency and collaboration between healthcare organizations and their suppliers, Irving-based Vizient announced last week.
It could be a match made in supply chain heaven.
Vizient, as the largest member-driven healthcare performance improvement company in the country, offers a sizable healthcare base. With memberships that represent $100 billion in annual purchasing volume, the Irving-headquartered organization hopes to see that scale expand to a more efficient supply chain via the agreement with One Network, the company said in a release.
Dallas-based One Network, which executes complex supply chain planning and management, can help provide transparency, security, collaboration, and performance optimization through its “intelligent” technology.
New “two-sided marketplace” to launch April 20
The new platform—intended to be a digital supply chain solution for the forecast, inventory availability, and consumption of healthcare goods—can help reduce the impact of demand spikes and supply shortages for buyers. Expected to launch April 20, the offering will be free during the coronavirus crisis to Vizient’s healthcare members, distributors, and suppliers, the organization said.
“Vizient has always worked toward improving supply chain efficiency, and the digital supply chain solution we’re launching with One Network is the latest example of those efforts,” said Steve Downey, group senior vice president, supply chain operations of Vizient.
The new platform will be able to track the day-to-day supply delivery timeliness and order completion, but also flag stock-out risks and location-based alternatives when a natural disaster or other disruption in the supply chain occurs. Vizient members also can find alternative products to source during a supply chain disruption.
One Network Founder and CEO Greg Brady says he is pleased to bring its platform to Vizient’s community. The company’s platforms also have been used for the Humanitarian Aid Network for infectious diseases in Africa, as well as in other industries such as retail, grocery and automotive.
“Just like in those industries, we’re confident that our services will help increase visibility and resilience in the health care supply chain for medical supplies, lab supplies, pharmaceuticals, and implants,” Brady said.
Kathryn Chavez contributed to this report.
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