Overview
Kenco provides an integrated logistics solution for a leading manufacturer of medical equipment used in hospitals, emergency rooms, and rescue operations. This company provides “trial” units to its customers for the purpose of demonstration and testing. The inventory of these trial units was previously managed manually by the manufacturer’s sales force resulting in decentralization and inadequate inventory control practices. In addition, orders for these units were placed through emails and faxes providing no structured order format or inventory visibility.
Challenge
There was a critical need to create a business and systematic solution to streamline and standardize the trials order process – both for sales and logistics. This solution also needed to provide order management visibility as well as facilitate proper inventory control practices, tracking and traceability for trials inventory. Once a solution was developed, collaboration with the medical manufacturer’s sales team had to occur to ensure ease of use and proper adoption of the system.
Solution
The team partnered with the Information Technology group at Kenco Management Services to develop a proprietary web-based solution. Through collaboration with our customer, the system was developed into an inventory management system (IMS). This tool was created to be completely web accessible and thus can be accessed from any computer, smart phone, or tablet device. This tool facilitated the trials ordering process, which provides all sales representatives a mechanism to consistently place their trials requests in the system regardless of location or resources. The only item necessary is a device with internet access. As a result, IMS allowed Kenco and its customer to maintain the appropriate inventory control practices and gain even more visibility and tracking for the entire trials unit inventory.
Results
The installation and use of IMS has been a great success. All sales representatives are placing trials orders utilizing the IMS web portal. The team has also gained visibility of all trial unit inventories in the network. Here is what Kenco’s customer is saying about the system:
- “I just did my first request using the system and it is great.” –Sales Account Manager – Atlanta Territory
- “I’m very excited about the new site and its ease of use. It’s very helpful to see the serial numbers listed and all requests made with one simple tool. I believe this will decrease the occasional user error on both ends.” –Sales Account Manager – LA North Territory
- “We are getting rave reviews from our sales force, thank you Kenco!” –Associate Director of Customer Care – Trials / Secondary Market Inventory
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