(February 2023) – Materials Management, and all the departments that comprise us, are really service departments. We constantly work to provide the best and most reliable service we can. If it is purchasing, accurate pricing and timely order placement is key. If it is receiving, the priority is processing and delivering the shipment quickly and without issues. For central service, the main focus is maintaining par levels and filling orders as quickly as they are transmitted.

Many times, when I give a talk about what we do for our healthcare organizations, it is about providing outstanding service. The speed and accuracy we provide is what our customers need. Many industry service failures are rampant since COVID-19. Companies, organizations and others have struggled to maintain workforces, which resulted in a lower standard of customer service. Less is expected and unfortunately delivered.

At my most recent department meeting, I stressed we need to provide great customer service. My co-workers understand this, and I feel staff, as a whole, learn from leadership. What you do, they emulate. Lead by example. Be willing to go the extra mile as much and often as you can to exceed the customer's expectation. I guess some would call that old school. I call it the right school. If only the world could work to get back to that expectation …and our vendor and resources worked to provide that service. How great the healthcare supply chain world could be again?

So, the next time you hear those words… customer service. remember it is the heart of what we do in Materials Management (Supply Chain). We ARE customer service.
--Patrick Tabor, FACHE, FAHRMM