Healthcare Operations Leaders Rank Top Supply Chain Solutions and Identify Critical Gaps in Outdated Materials Management Technology, Black Book™ Survey

COLUMBUS, Ohio, September 19, 2024 (Newswire.com) - A confluence of financial stressors, including declining medical revenues, enduring staffing shortages, escalating inflation, and a sluggish recovery in inpatient volumes, has collectively propelled total health system expenses to surge by over 26% in the second quarter of 2024. This sharp rise in costs has imposed an extraordinary burden on healthcare providers, who now find themselves navigating an increasingly precarious financial landscape. Faced with the dual challenges of managing ballooning operational expenditures and sustaining the quality of care, many healthcare institutions are struggling to adapt. These unprecedented pressures are forcing a reevaluation of financial strategies and operational efficiencies in an effort to maintain solvency and ensure long-term sustainability in an ever-evolving healthcare environment.

A recent Black Book Research report reveals that 84% of healthcare C-suite executives are highlighting an urgent need for advanced technologies to modernize outdated supply chain infrastructures and address underperforming services. The convergence of these issues has accelerated the push for digital transformation, as health systems seek to optimize operations and enhance efficiency to maintain solvency in an increasingly volatile landscape.

Black Book™ collected survey responses from 1,310 materials managers, executives, staff, analysts, consultants, and directors from hospitals and physician organizations to determine the top-performing vendors among in-demand supply chain software, technology platforms, and systems, and assess the gaps and urgencies of materials management technology administration.

“Collaboration with vendors and suppliers has become absolutely essential to maintaining a seamless flow of goods and mitigating the ever-present risk of shortages,” said Doug Brown, founder of Black Book. “Stronger, more integrated partnerships are now crucial for gaining enhanced visibility into inventory levels, demand fluctuations, and potential bottlenecks. There is an intensified focus on constructing more resilient, adaptive supply chains—ones that are better equipped to withstand unexpected disruptions and that prioritize diversified sourcing strategies to ensure continuity of care. Competitive healthcare providers can no longer afford to be reactive; proactive, strategic collaboration is key to future-proofing the industry against ongoing and unforeseen challenges.”

Key findings in the annual Black Book survey include:

66% of hospital materials managers responding are prioritizing digitalization and technology Integration in CY2025 as their healthcare organizations are increasingly embracing digital solutions to optimize their outdated supply chains. Technologies like blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and AI-driven analytics are being adopted to enhance transparency, traceability, and efficiency, according to 17% of respondents.

71% of all participants confirm that their healthcare organizations are paying more attention to sustainability and ethical sourcing compared to last year's survey results. Reducing waste, adopting environmentally friendly packaging, and ensuring fair labor practices are becoming high-impact priorities in the industry.

94% of hospital C-Suite respondents confirm that their patients are demanding greater transparency in the healthcare supply chain the impact has been a developing challenge for materials managers as consumers want to know the origin of their medications and medical devices and if they were sourced responsibly.

“The absence of advanced analytics tools, coupled with strategic breakdowns from failed supply chain software integrations and outdated dashboards, has brought urgent attention to the pressing technology needs facing health system materials managers over the next 24 months,” said Brown. “These gaps in functionality are forcing healthcare leaders to prioritize modern solutions that can provide real-time insights and decision support to optimize operations and navigate the increasingly complex supply chain landscape.”

Black Book's full 2024 supply chain software solutions survey results including 20 materials management categories and over 300 vendors can be viewed at https://blackbookmarketresearch.com/supply-chain-and-materials-management

Solutions ranking highest by supply chain client experience among 18 focused qualitative, key performance indicators for 2024 by survey participants are:

VALUE ANALYSIS PRODUCTS & SERVICES

GHX (GLOBAL HEALTH EXCHANGE) 

__________

SPEND MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS 

SYMPLR 

__________

GROUP PURCHASING ORGANIZATIONS & COALITION SERVICES

VIZIENT 

__________

BENCHMARKING & COMPARATIVE ANALYTICS

DIMENSIONAL INSIGHT 

__________

AUTOMATED ASSET TRACKING 

ASSET PANDA 

__________

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT CONSULTING & ADVISORY

ADVANTUS HEALTH PARTNERS 

__________

COST ACCOUNTING & FINANCIAL DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS

COSTFLEX 

__________

MATERIALS MANAGEMENT IT IMPLEMENTATION & STAFFING

BLUEBIN 

__________

ERP & SUPPLY CHAIN WORKFLOW APPLICATIONS

MULTIVIEW 

__________

WAREHOUSING TECHNOLOGY

TECSYS 

__________

CLINICAL SUPPLY CHAIN INTEGRATION & OPTIMIZATION SOLUTIONS

PREMIER INC 

__________

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT & ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES OUTSOURCING

CROTHALL HEALTHCARE 

__________

SURGICAL ASSET TRACKING SOFTWARE

STERIS 

__________

STERILE PROCESSING DEPARTMENT & PERIOPERATIVE IT SOLUTIONS

SIPS HEALTHCARE

__________

CONTRACT MANAGEMENT & OPTIMIZATION SOLUTIONS

ICERTIS 

__________

REAL-TIME LOCATION SYSTEMS (RTLS)

INFOR 

__________

MEDICATION, MEDICAL PROCEDURE & TECHNOLOGY CARTS

CAPSA HEALTHCARE 

__________

BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 

AGILITI 

__________

PROVIDER CREDENTIALLING

SYMPLR

__________

About Black Book

Black Book™, its founder, management, and staff do not own or hold any financial interest in any of the vendors covered and encompassed in the vendor satisfaction surveys it conducts. Black Book reports the results of the collected satisfaction and client experience rankings in publication and to media prior to vendor notification of rating results and does not solicit vendor participation fees, review fees, inclusion or briefing charges, consultation requirements, and/or vendor collaboration as Black Book directly polls vendors' clients.  

Black Book™ has polled for vendor satisfaction and industry trends across the healthcare software, technology, and outsourcing sectors around the globe. Since 2011, Black Book began polling the client experience of now nearly three million healthcare software and services users. Black Book expanded its survey prowess and reputation of independent, unbiased crowd-sourced surveying to IT, clinical, operations, and financial professionals, physician practice administrators, nurses, consultants, executives, and hospital information technology managers.

Source: Black Book Research