Medical Devices & Supplies

industries_med_operatingroomThe medical supply chain places significant challenges on distribution operations. Medical device manufacturers and distributors face rigorous customer service demands for accurate shipments with short lead times. Their product assortments are constantly changing. And, they must meet government regulations designed to protect consumer health and safety. These constraints result in accuracy, flexibility, monitoring, and cycle time requirements that traditional automation approaches cannot support.

The Kiva warehouse automation system was designed to meet medical device order fulfillment challenges while delivering operational efficiency and labor savings for distribution center operators.

Kiva enables world-class distribution operations that deal with the reality of medical supply chain challenges:industries_med_kneebrace

  • Accurate orders are critical
  • Product and process quality are paramount to customer service
  • Regulations and recalls affect all aspects of the business
  • Shipment sizes vary from single items to very large multi-item orders
  • Short lead times for just-in-time shipments are normal for hospitals, clinics and doctors
  • Processes must account for product holds in real-time
  • Products and orders must be traceable to a fine degree - batch, location, condition, handlers, etc.
  • Expiration dates are monitored
  • Returns require detailed processing
  • Value-added services are often required - package customization, personalization, etc.

DJO_pickingThe Kiva solution simultaneously delivers speed, accuracy, productivity, and flexibility while meeting the challenges imposed on distribution operations by the inherent quality concerns of the medical supply chain. With Kiva it is possible to pick eaches and cases as productively as full pallets. Kiva builds accuracy into the solution and enables just-in-time order fulfillment. Light-directed picking, put-away and order consolidation, combined with barcode scanning and multiple methods for confirming quantity, ensure that inventory and orders are 99.9% accurate.

To learn more about how a Kiva solution can solve your medical distribution challenges contact us.