Procurement rules won’t change whatever happens with Brexit

Healthcare procurement rules are unlikely to change after Brexit, assuming it comes to pass at some stage.

Whether you are using category tower (the future operating model for NHS procurement), an individual hospital or other buying organisation, the rules of engagement are not going to alter.

The British terms governing procurement have never been so complicated, and the issue for medical device companies is how they and their sales teams manage this landscape.

How can you maintain your existing contracts and grow new business with so many conflicting options?

As a result of the changing landscape of procurement and Lord Carter’s review of NHS efficiencies and how large savings in the organisation can be made have resulted in the requirement that healthcare sales professionals engage at a management level.

Many companies allocate most of their time to training and education resources and on product and sales training with a focus on how to engage with clinical professionals.

But how many companies dedicate the same time and effort on how to engage effectively with procurement departments? Remember, it is the procurement landscape that underpins every commercial transaction.

Today’s healthcare company sales representatives need to have all the clinical knowledge for their product portfolio AND understand the legally required business processes involved in healthcare procurement.

As a healthcare sales professional, you need to know the basics to be able to engage with procurement in the same competent credible way that you engaged with the clinicians.

Working with healthcare industry and procurement professionals, HC Skills have created a one-day face-to-face course to ensure that sales people can have competent credible conversations with both clinicians and procurement.

The key to successful selling in today’s healthcare environment is NOT on selling
single products – it IS to project-manage your company’s portfolio into hospitals.

This approach requires alignment and acceptance with all decision makers in every hospital buying chain.

You should be able to present your company’s products using a 360-degree approach, focusing on cost to purchase, cost to process and cost to possess for the hospital.

This approach includes understanding the essential requirements of electronic-enablement including stock management, order and invoice management and processing.

To find out more, please visit our Courses Page.