Healthcare execs look to logistics

UPS survey shows industry confronts a host of regulatory and security challenges.    In its annual “Pain in the (Supply) Chain” survey, UPS has found that regulations, cost pressures and other assorted risks are not allowing healthcare executives to tap into all the logistics opportunities in the industry.
   According to UPS, it polled more than 530 executives in the health care industries in the United States, Canada, Europe and Latin America. In the survey, 60 percent of the respondents said the top “pain point” concerns regulatory burdens, while product security and product damage were also among the top issues.
   To confront these challenges, executives are looking to partnerships. More than 75 percent of the executives said partnerships with logistics and distribution professionals help reduce overall costs, and 65 percent of the people surveyed use these partnerships to reach international markets. Nearly 60 percent of the respondents are using a 3PL to improve their competitiveness in the market.
   “Companies that embrace new technologies and transformative supply chain strategies to mitigate risks will be more likely to capitalize on new growth opportunities in the healthcare marketplace of tomorrow,” John Menna, UPS’ vice president of global healthcare strategy, said in a statement.