B2B ecommerce helps medical device manufacturers, distributors and suppliers scale sales operations flexibly. It’s also become an essential tool to launch new products and reach new customers in a fast-moving sector.
Predicted annual growth in the medical supply delivery service market in the US alone is 9% to 2028. There are plenty of opportunities to capture new business. However, to manage costs and stay competitive you’ll need to make the best use of your resources. You must also maintain exceptionally high standards and keep pace with change.
Advances in medical device technology, scientific breakthroughs, and an increasingly complex regulatory framework are challenging. Clinical safety requirements, international competition, and supply chain disruptions put your operations under pressure.
With a B2B ecommerce portal you can provide the latest detailed technical specifications, product walkthroughs, videos, and research results. Your buyers can access them exactly when and where they need them. You can explain innovations, their benefits and their use in medical and surgical settings. Online self-service also improves customer experiences and frees up your sales and service teams for more value-added activities.
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It isn’t easy to stay profitable and competitive in the medical devices sector. The latest business to business (B2B) ecommerce technology can help. You can quickly and easily streamline order processing and improve customer service.
Cloudfy is designed to simplify the complexity of B2B sales in the medical device sector. Its features and performance support order process automation and customer self-service to reduce your administration costs.
As a software as a service (SaaS) solution you’ll have leading-edge B2B ecommerce functionality straight out of the box. You can launch your catalog and sell online in just a few weeks. Along with Cloudfy’s customer ordering app and sales representative app you’ll have all the digital tools you need.
Pre-built integrations for leading enterprise (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM) and warehouse management (WMS) systems save you time and money. There are connectors for marketplaces such as Boots, Rowland Pharmacy and Superdrug to make sure your products are seen in all the right places. Cloudfy’s advanced features include serialized stock management, quantity limits, product safety sheets, and restricted combinations.
Challenges for medical device manufacturers and distributors
Complex B2B medical device sales require features like tiered pricing, purchase order workflows, multiple buyer roles and permissions. You’ll want to offer bespoke quotations and personalized account management. Your B2B ecommerce solution must meet all the detailed needs of medical device sales.
Complex products
Your medical devices are complex and often have multiple interdependencies. You need an easy way to present and manage complex product data to provide buyers with the information they need.
Compliance
Your buyers must have confidence that the products they buy meet the highest technical standards. It must be easy to include compliance information with product descriptions.
Compatibility
Extra stock, spare parts and replacements must be suitable for the medical devices your customers have already bought. Compatibility information for new purchases requires and effective product information management (PIM) system.
The benefits of B2B ecommerce for the medical device sector
Direct field sales are still an important part of your operations. However, you already know your representatives spend more time travelling than meeting customers. By giving your sales teams access to real-time data, you can provide valuable insights and improve performance. You can optimize results for both your experienced sales professionals and your next generation of top sales advisors.
Millennial and Gen Z buyers expect to carry out their research online using multiple devices. When they’re ready to make purchases they want easy checkouts and personalized payment options. They will decide when they need the help of your sales team and when to use self-service options.
B2B ecommerce also helps improve your digital marketing to increase brand visibility and discoverability of your products. You’ll meet your buyers’ needs more effectively and increase sales.
Efficiency
Relying on your field sales team is time-consuming and inevitably generates paperwork and manual workflows. This introduces costly errors which can damage your reputation. When you have a B2B ecommerce platform you’ll minimize these errors and speed up your quote to cash process.
Scalable growth
In the fast-paced and innovative medical device sector one key growth strategy is expansion into new markets. For this you’ll need a B2B ecommerce solution that supports multisite operations for different currencies, languages and payment gateways. You can also create niche sites for specific customer requirements.
Compliance
Meeting legal and regulatory requirements regionally, nationally and internationally adds complexity to your business. This might include different standards for medical practitioners, hospitals or consumers. With an ecommerce platform specifically designed for your needs you can control sales and availability based on location, volume or product combinations. Your customers can easily view, print and download key product safety information from your B2B ecommerce site. Serialized inventory management allows you to establish and track batch numbers for easier tracing and product recalls, if needed.
Customer experience
Your professional B2B buyers are influenced by their personal shopping experiences. They expect easy navigation, useful product data and streamlined checkouts as a minimum.
Autocomplete, autocorrect, and related product suggestions help them find what they want. Filters based on treatments, brand names or use cases show you understand their needs. You can also help to narrow down choices with options such as product type, price, ratings, or attributes. You can even provide bespoke menus of selected items.
With business system integration you can use your customers’ buying histories to simplify purchasing with easy ordering and tailored payment options. They’ll only see the ones that apply to them. You can even simplify reordering with subscription ordering functionality.
Business data
Silos of data can lead to duplication and inconsistency. More importantly, they slow down your processes and interrupt sales workflows. Integrating key business systems like your ERP, CRM and PIM with your B2B ecommerce platform gives you a complete view. You can collect and analyze data to improve your understanding of customer behavior and make better decisions.
Automation
Automated workflows improve inventory and warehouse management and simplify contracts, quotes, and negotiations. You will improve customer experiences, reduce operational costs and increase efficiency across your organization.
Case study: NAO Global
NAO Global Health is a specialized supplier of medical, surgical, diagnostic and analytical lab products based in Houston, Texas. They wanted a solutions partner with a full understanding of the US market. They required seamless integration with Quickbooks Enterprise, multiple supplier feeds and tools for competitive pricing. Traceability and batch tracking capabilities were also needed. Working with the Cloudfy team they now have a seamless flow of data between their ecommerce platform, Activate warehouse management and Quickbooks Enterprise.
Choosing a B2B ecommerce platform for your medical supplies business
Scalability and customization are important considerations. You need capacity to grow your business and tailor your site to meet the needs of new customers. Business systems integration allows you to improve internal collaboration and customer-facing operations. You’ll also want easy options to list your products on key marketplaces and seamlessly connect all your sales channels.
Find out how to simplify your medical device business, scale as you grow and save money with Cloudfy. Book a free demonstration today.
Frequently Asked Questions
The whole healthcare sector is adopting technology to deliver improvements in treatment and better outcomes for patients. Organizations that don’t embrace digital transformation are unlikely to keep pace with changing demands and customer expectations.
Choosing any technology for use in the medical device sector must include consideration of legal and regulatory requirements. You can use your B2B ecommerce platform to provide the latest and most accurate product data for your customers. You can also use serialized inventory management tools with your preferred license generation software for product tracking and traceability.
All businesses in the medical device sector are at risk of cybercrime attacks. Everyone from medical device manufacturers to supplies marketplaces must be mindful of security. B2B ecommerce platforms like Cloudfy provide robust technology with regular security updates, password controls, multi-factor authentication and data backups.
