What are two things medical supply manufacturing companies keep at the forefront of their operations? Compliance and quality management. Both are critical components of success in the industry. Without a solid plan in place to address quality and compliance, companies face steep fines, fewer sales and eroded customer trust. To ensure these consequences (and more) don’t occur, the solid plan must rest on implementing a cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning (cloud ERP) solution that provides industry-specific medical supplies software and medical devices software.
The Importance of ERP Software
An ERP solution, according to NexTec’s complimentary ERP Selection Guide: Medical Supplies and Devices, is a “centralized business management platform that connects data, departments and processes into a single solution.” As an end-to-end solution, it integrates integral departments, including Accounting, Production, Inventory, Procurement, Human Resources, Risk Management, Project Management, Sales, Supplier Relationships and Compliance, and provides a 360-degree-view of the business.
Within the right ERP solution should be software that meets different industries’ specific needs. Just as distributors should have distribution software, inventory management software and warehousing management software, medical supplies and devices companies should have medical supplies software and medical devices software. This specificity is essential for companies that have defined functionality requirements.
For example, and as we discussed, medical supply and devices manufacturers are held to strict compliance and quality standards. The cloud ERP solution they choose must be able to:
- Maintain accurate data for recall, reporting and FDA audit purposes
- Manage ISO, GMP (and more) compliance regulations
- Store documentation to adhere to each governing agency’s requirements
- Automate quality checks
- Track every item forward and backwards for increased visibility and precision
In other words, the solution must be able to help lift the burden felt by medical devices management companies working to meet regulatory requirements while producing a quality product. InBios International is a perfect example of a company that chose the right cloud ERP software.
The Right ERP Software
InBios specializes in the design, development and manufacturing of immunodiagnostic devices for infectious diseases and biothreats since 1998. Before implementing a cloud-based ERP solution with medical supplies software, the company relied on in-house software. It was only capable of handling sales orders and tracking lot numbers as they were sold but was not able to manage inventory holding and raw materials. Spreadsheets and emails played a big part in running the business. In addition, their compliance process was complex, inefficient and space dependent.
Manufacturing Manager Bryan Deszell explains. “We have to provide detailed reports to the [FDA] agency. We used to have a whole floor in the building to store the necessary compliance data. When reporting time came, it might take several days to gather the data together.”
An ERP solution was the answer, and on the advice of NexTec Group, InBios chose Acumatica Cloud ERP. The implementation resulted in real-time inventory numbers, accurate lot tracking and improved forecasting.
“We can now track lot numbers within the system with forward and backward traceability. Before, lot tracking involved too much time, too much paper and lots of manual tasks.”
The implementation also resulted in streamlined compliance procedures.
“Now, Acumatica stores all the relevant data. We’ve built custom queries in the software that produce the reports we need instantly,” Deszell says. “This type of efficiency is part of what we needed to scale the business.”
The Future is Bright with Acumatica Cloud ERP
With Acumatica Cloud ERP, medical supplies and devices companies can be confident that they have the technology in place to support their operations. Providing quality products and complying with all requirements may not be effortless—success requires hard work and dedication—but Acumatica’s medical supplies software and medical devices software can make the effort worth it.
Acumatica will help ensure compliance to FDA standards and global regulations, effectively manage laboratory approval standards and manage all receiving, replenishment, shipping, returns, transfers and kitting, and assembly transactions. Don’t forget, Acumatica’s cloud-based ERP solution also connects related back-office processes (e.g., financials, distribution, manufacturing, etc.) into one platform, which is accessible anywhere in the world on any web-enabled device.
InBios’ Deszell sees a bright future with Acumatica. “I can see us growing another 10-fold or more without outgrowing Acumatica. It’s the core of our manufacturing operations and the platform we’re building the business around.”
NexTec, an award-winning business software consulting firm with over 25 years’ experience, can attest to Acumatica’s efficacy for those in the medical supplies and medical devices industry looking for a cloud ERP solution. Our ERP Selection Guide: Medical Supplies and Devices offers clear advice for selecting and implementing a cloud ERP solution, and our experts can answer any questions. Contact NexTec today. We’d love to chat.