Scott Adams
We are all busier than ever. We receive hundreds of e-mails and texts each day, and rarely get a chance to talk live to our peers. All of this equals activity and a busyness required in order to remain relevant in an ultra-competitive marketplace.
What it does not do is allow us time to reflect and work on our careers and educate ourselves, so we can better serve our customers. That’s why we’re so passionate about Repertoire’s mission within the medical distribution community.
Repertoire is written with one person in mind, the distributor rep. The magazine holds a unique spot in the industry similar to that of a phone call or a handwritten letter. Repertoire is still requested and received by over 95 percent of the industry’s sales reps. Whether delivered in print or digitally each month, it keeps all of us connected to something bigger than our individual accounts or products. We are part of an amazing fraternity tasked with helping America’s caregivers be the best in the world. That task takes education and community. Are distribution companies as a whole still as valuable to manufacturers given consolidation within health systems and manufacturers?
This is one of the most important questions we are facing today and will continue to face over the coming years. I can’t answer this question, but I know who can. The folks in Columbus, Daytona, Houston, Long Island, Mundelein, Nashville, and Richmond, as well as every regional distributor, and every distribution sales rep in the United States must prove they can continue to deliver value to a manufacturing community seeing providers consolidate every day. Just read the Dail-eNews for a week. We’re constantly reporting on systems being acquired or consolidated.
Our industry is at a crossroads. We need to work together to solve the healthcare debate. Washington cannot do it! Manufacturers and distributors cannot do it alone, but together we can work toward a better healthcare system. The key word in that sentence is together. At some point we have to deliver goods, service accounts, collect payments, and ensure the best products are in the hands of our providers. That sounds like a job for distribution. The question is, can we all start working toward a more collaborative approach where both sides deliver value?
Dedicated to Distribution
R. Scott Adams