Tecsys

The company doesn’t take its position in the industry lightly either. As a technological leader, TECSYS is aware of the many challenges complex supply chains—and their managers—face.

The front end of supply chains has changed rapidly in the last decade with an increase in ways to order products: in-store pickup, online, customized, to name a few. Distributors who used to send in bulk to stores now are responsible for shipping single items, giftwrapping, managing warranties, and other practices that were not common in the 20^th century.

On the back end, there are now hundreds of new manufacturers because of crowdfunding, introducing new, smaller companies every year.

TECSYS’s single platform has the solutions for these challenges, no matter the industry or stop in the supply chain.

“The core underlining supply chain engine tracks everything in a very efficient manner and runs through the backbone of our product no matter the industry. But the front end, where the actual users are, sets our application apart. It’s a persona-based app based on job, so truck drivers have a different interface from a worker in a warehouse or a nurse in a hospital.”

The healthcare industry in particular has a number of unique challenges, including rigorous regulatory compliance laws and a complex final consumption environment. Products have to be tracked and traced, with tighter traceability regulations on drugs of a certain class and implants like pacemakers and the like. Certain drugs too have to be shipped at a very specific temperature range.

At the front end, the supply chain often doesn’t even end until the product is physically inside the patient, so there are many more nodes to manage. Inside the hospital, some products are so cheap—like bandages—that they are not worth making sure a nurse records when they use that product.

“The challenge there is how do you know when to replenish the end points of the supply chain?”

To overcome this hurdle, TECSYS acquired Logi-D, which produces point-of-use supply chain automation technology for hospitals.

“This tech allows clinicians to grab products off a shelf without keeping track. When the shelf gets down to a certain level it will trigger a sensor that automatically orders more product.”

It allows the management of supplies to shift to an automated system, meaning nurses can spend more time with their patients.

Logi-D is also responsible for some incredible but simple technology in operating rooms. When the box or bag containing a more expensive product—like a pacemaker—is opened and thrown away, the high-tech trashcan will flash blue to let the nurse know that he or she is good to go—the patient has been charged and the item has been removed from the hospital’s inventory. On the flip side, if the product has been recalled or has expired, the trashcan will flash red.

With the acquisition of Logi-D, expanded healthcare offerings, and growth in its other markets, 2015 was a year of investment for TECSYS. To complement last year’s strategy, 2016 is a year of consolidation to let the company catch up to the investment.

“Our sales volume continues to rise, and we’re adding staff to the consulting and service side of the business. We’re also launching a module for in-hospital pharmacy management over the summer, and incorporating a lot of technology from the broader pharmacy market.”

Innovator and realist are not two terms that can usually apply to the same person or company. But with TECSYS—and the company’s practical approach to supply chain management of today and commitment to uncovering the technology of the future—the description not only works, but summarizes the company just about perfectly.