BALANCING BETWEEN REGULATIONS AND FUTURE
COMPANIES IN MEDICAL ENGINEERING APPEAR TO HAVE DAZZLING PROSPECTS
There is no other industry that benefits as greatly from demographic shifts and global population growth as medical technology has. Companies in this field appear to have dazzling prospects. Nevertheless, they are under mounting pressure, as can be seen by the many mergers taking place around the globe. The push toward growth reflects the changes in demands that medical-technology manufacturers are encountering: they are facing a transformation, moving away from the product in and of itself and towards a patient-oriented complete solution. And companies are assuming more and more responsibility for therapeutic success by such measures as managing operating rooms in hospitals. Digitization and big data are both opening up brand-new business models and giving the industry the chance to play a central part in the prevention and early detection of disease.
Many manufacturers are already working in conjunction with software and technology businesses. Medicine 4.0 forces large and small companies alike to work together on a cross-disciplinary basis, think in a solution-oriented way and use data intelligently. In addition to these new challenges, the industry continues to face the same pressures as before: an increasingly price-sensitive market along with growing regulatory pressure.
Our solutions help you strike the challenging balance between client specifications and regulatory affairs. In doing so, you can also master the opportunities that digital development provides and successfully expand your business.
Staufen’s concepts and solutions
Many medical-technology manufactures have enjoyed rising sales for years and grown into internationally successful companies. The market, however, is full of stiff competition, and beyond that, business with state health-care providers usually only allow for narrow profit margins. This forces companies to be as cost-efficient as possible. No company can afford high inventories, long lead times and rework due to poorly coordinated processes.
For years, Staufen has been supporting medical-technology manufacturers in successfully optimizing their procedures in all front-line and back-office functions. The experience we have gained in these projects has shown us again and again that, especially when companies are in the midst of intense growth, they often wait too long to adapt their processes. By doing so, they are wasting potential.
One important prerequisite for successfully marketing new projects is implementing innovations as quickly as possible — especially in a field such as medical technology where there is intense global competition. At the same time, medical products have to undergo a complicated approval process before they can be launched. This makes it all the more important for R&D departments to structure their work in such a way that they consistently keep an eye on market needs. The key is to develop winning products on a well-coordinated and rapid basis, systematically leading them from the original concept all the way to the product launch.
Our specialists can show you that creativity and a structured approach are not mutually exclusive. R&D departments in production have also benefited from methods that have been successful for decades, as well as from Lean Management culture.
Megatrends such as digitization, globalization and individualization pose new challenges for companies. To cope with these changes effectively, businesses have to have a dynamic culture of change throughout the entire company. More than ever before, constant striving for improvement has to be in the foreground so companies can respond to developments as flexibly as possible.
More than anything, management is expected to demonstrate leadership competence. There is high demand for strong personalities who can listen, guide and motivate — for managers who can both delegate responsibility to their teams but can also offer them support and leadership in the change process. Our experienced consultants and coaches accompany you on your path towards this new corporate culture that promotes change.
New technologies enable businesses to continue optimizing their processes in production and logistics. Operational excellence offers major potential here: it can be used to design and monitor all processes more efficiently and effectively in the future. Taking advantage of the opportunities that digitization, connectivity and big data provide is critical for medical-technology manufacturers. Production can become a more attractive option again, even in high-wage countries such as Germany.
Staufen will help you every step of the way as you remodel into a smart factory. Our experts assist you in making maximal use of the potential that Industry 4.0 offers.
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