Medicine

Category Management in Medical Equipment Distribution

Category management in the distribution of medical equipment
According to the analytical company Meditex, in 2023 the volume of the Russian medical devices market in financial terms has already exceeded 700 billion rubles.

In 2023, purchases of medical equipment decreased compared to the previous three years. This is explained by the cyclical nature of deliveries to healthcare institutions: in certain two or three years, a mass replacement of obsolete equipment is carried out, then a pause is taken. How can distribution companies maintain profitability and not lose their supplier base?

There are many concepts for forming the product range of any company, but the most famous is category management. According to experts, large medical equipment currently has a warranty period of 8-10 years, medium – 5 years, so 5-10-year procurement cycles are periodically repeated both within the framework of national projects and within the framework of federal and regional programs. Meanwhile, Russian production of medical equipment is increasing, and the state provides full support for this.

According to the Roszdravnadzor report, 3 thousand Russian medical devices were registered in 2022 (this is the latest up-to-date data). Rosstat in the Healthcare collection also records the growth of the medical industry – in 2022, 3.1 thousand ultrasound machines were produced in the country – three times more than in 2021, and almost 10 times more than in 2016; the production of electrocardiographs increased from 2.9 thousand units in 2014 to 6.3 thousand units in 2022 (+ 117%); syringes – from 589 million units to 998 million units (+ 69%).

Sergey Ayrapetyan, Development Director of MedKompleks A.V.K., the largest distributor of medical equipment in Russia: “Each year, Russian-made equipment is increasingly winning. Now, thanks to the import substitution strategy, Russian equipment is already ahead of foreign equipment in terms of price-quality. Choosing a trusted distributor is a guarantee of good quality and a minimum price. It is especially important when, as on the MedKompleks A.V.K. website, everything can be ordered in a “single window” mode. We declare this as “retail for legal entities”: On our website, you can purchase from one unit of goods of each category at the price openly announced on the website.”

It is always much easier for a customer to find the desired product if the assortment is divided into groups. Sergey Ayrapetyan: “Category management primarily takes into account the interests of buyers. We have main product groups – “Equipment”, “Furniture”, “Tools”. But there is also a search by specialization, an expanded catalog by areas – from sterilization and disinfection to anesthesiology and resuscitation. What is important is that most suppliers are Russian. This is our strategic vector since the foundation of the company, and our history goes back more than 20 years. For all products, a product card is provided, one can say its passport, so it is easy to understand where the product is manufactured and find complete information about the supplier.”

Sergey Ayrapetyan says that the company actively works with both manufacturers and customers of medical equipment. The average contract term with a supplier already exceeds 6 years. A customer-oriented approach to business development, to accelerated process implementation, to increased efficiency consists of many components – this includes long-term contacts. The expert emphasizes that the company also values ​​the support of partners in terms of legislative nuances – this educational initiative is one of the investment missions.

Important! The information is provided for reference purposes. Ask a specialist about contraindications and side effects and do not self-medicate under any circumstances. At the first signs of illness, consult a doctor.