Healthcare supply chain management faces complex challenges in today’s rapidly evolving medical landscape. This article explores innovative solutions addressing these issues, from real-time tracking to AI-driven inventory monitoring. Drawing on insights from industry experts, we examine how these advancements are transforming healthcare logistics and improving patient care.

  • Real-Time Tracking Enhances Supply Chain Transparency
  • Multi-Tiered Strategy Improves Supplement Availability
  • Coordinate Backup Assistance With Neighboring Hospital
  • AI-driven Inventory Monitoring Predicts Demand
  • Modernize Warehouse Strategy With a Vision-Picking Solution

Real-Time Tracking Enhances Supply Chain Transparency

One issue we faced was shipping coordination post-order. Products left on time but didn’t arrive consistently. Carriers blamed weather, routing, staff, and everything under the sun. But our hospitals needed real updates, not excuses. So we built an internal tracking dashboard by ZIP code. It lets clients track inventory with Amazon-style status updates.

That one change reduced client anxiety almost overnight. No more “Where’s my package?” emails, just clarity. It’s not just about the product anymore; it’s about transparency. And that’s the currency modern suppliers must trade in. We’re not just shipping; we’re communicating in real time. That shift changed everything downstream.

Ivan Rodimushkin
Founder, CEO, XS Supply

Multi-Tiered Strategy Improves Supplement Availability

One major challenge our organization faced in healthcare supply chain management was the inconsistent availability of high-quality supplements and lab kits, especially during peak demand periods or global disruptions. As a functional medicine practice that relies on precise diagnostics and targeted nutraceuticals, even small delays could impact patient outcomes and care timelines.

To solve this, we implemented a multi-tiered vendor strategy—sourcing from multiple trusted suppliers rather than relying on a single distributor. We also created a forecasting system based on patient flow and seasonal demand trends, allowing us to maintain buffer stock on high-turnover items like adrenal, thyroid, and blood sugar support supplements.

Additionally, we transitioned to using a centralized inventory system, giving our team real-time visibility into supply levels and automating reorders before stock runs low. This not only improved consistency but also reduced last-minute stress, improved cost control, and ensured patients received the care they needed without interruption.

By aligning supply chain operations with clinical demands, we created a more resilient and responsive system that strengthened both patient trust and practice efficiency.

Dr. Jonathan Spages
Doctor, Author, Advanced Natural Health Center

Coordinate Backup Assistance With Neighboring Hospital

Like many in Medical Imaging, I’ve lived through the chaos of delayed coils, backordered contrast agents, and even scanner parts being stuck overseas. One of the most challenging moments? A trauma patient needed STAT CT imaging, but the contrast shipment was delayed for days , and all CT IV contrast was on backorder. Instead of rescheduling, I coordinated with a neighboring hospital’s CT team to loan my facility CT IV contrast as a workaround—delivering the clinical answers needed while keeping the patient safe and avoiding a hospital transfer.

Chaundria Singleton RT(CT(R)(MR)
Registered CT/MRI Technologist at C & C Imaging Services LLC

AI-driven Inventory Monitoring Predicts Demand

In 2022, our healthcare network experienced a major supply chain disruption when a cyberattack hit one of our third-party logistics partners. Within hours, we were unable to receive critical surgical kits and IV fluids. Operating room schedules were thrown off, nurses had to make tough decisions on rationing supplies, and patient care began to feel the pressure almost immediately. It was a wake-up call—not just about logistics, but about how deeply supply chain fragility impacts frontline care.

As Founder & CEO at OSP, I led a cross-functional response to redesign our approach. We moved quickly to implement AI-driven inventory monitoring that could predict demand and flag shortages in real time. We diversified our supplier base to avoid single points of failure and piloted a blockchain solution for high-risk items like implants and temperature-sensitive meds to ensure full traceability and transparency.

What this experience taught me is that digital resilience isn’t optional—it’s fundamental. Cyber risk is supply risk, and frontline staff are often the best source of insight for redesigning broken systems. Fixing the supply chain isn’t just about new tech; it’s about building trust, adaptability, and accountability into every layer of operations.

Riken Shah
Founder & CEO, OSP

Modernize Warehouse Strategy With a Vision-Picking Solution

In healthcare, supply chain management disruptions have a direct impact on patient care. Nadro, a major pharmaceutical distributor in Mexico, was struggling to deliver healthcare products on time due to a 25% year-over-year growth in demand, increasing customer expectations, and service-level challenges.

Their previous picking process involved multiple steps using bulky handheld devices and lacked efficient data syncing or exception handling. This caused inefficiencies, increased errors, and required overtime—ultimately delaying medications for patients.

In partnership with SAP, TeamViewer helped Nadro modernize its warehouse strategy with a vision-picking solution. Workers now receive real-time order information through AR-based digital workflows on smart glasses, walking them step-by-step through the fulfillment process with hands free picking. This improved order picking time by 30% and reduced onboarding and training time by 93%.

This shift helped Nadro ensure pharmaceuticals reached pharmacies on schedule, improving patients’ access to the medications they depend on.

Georg Beyschlag
President, Americas, TeamViewer