International Projects
Over the years we have become one of the largest suppliers of medical and laboratory products to NGOs and bank-financed aid projects. Day-to-day working relationships under long-term agreements or system contracts exist with almost all UN organisations, the Red Cross and many other institutions.
The international projects we supply are quite different in nature and can vary from the provision of medical and lab equipment to more than 1,200 primary health care facilities in remote destinations to the supply, installation, training and maintenance of highly sophisticated solutions including MRIs, CTs, central monitoring systems and endoscopic operating theatres.
It is one of our competitive advantages that we conduct 50% of our business in our domestic market. This direct and close relationship with our German clients has familiarised us with the needs of our clients on a day-to-day basis. At the same time, we find that most of our international clients have quite similar requirements. Another positive effect is that we stock more than 12,000 items in our logistics centre in Schwerte. This gives us a lot of experience which we can use for international projects but also helps us to respond quickly to emergencies.
Clients
Every year, we deliver to more than 80 countries in all regions around the world and therefore we believe that we have gained great insights into the requirements of the recipients on-site. For example, the infrastructural conditions in terms of medical problems can already vary quite substantially in neighbouring provinces of the same country.
Product Overview
We work with the largest and most renowned manufacturers around the globe. In cases where brand recognition is not critical we can offer first class products from cost-efficient manufacturers. For these lesser-known suppliers we have implemented rigorous quality management, which is supported by our subsidiaries in India, Vietnam and Singapore.
Each company has to go through the following phases:
- Prequalification/accreditation of suppliers
- Quality control during procurement phase
- Continous monitoring
The Modular Hospital
Furthermore, we combine items into fully functional solutions. These modules contain item sets, which in turn consist of individual articles. A provincial hospital will include an operating theatre module, which will contain an anaesthesia machine set, which in turn will consist of 15 individual items including sufficient accessories and consumables for three months of operation. Initially we created 35 modules, consisting of an operating theatre, intensive care unit, lab, sterilisation facilities, etc. as an emergency response solution for the United Nations. We have developed this approach into many other areas and now offer more than 100 modules upon which we can further customise solutions.
For example, we have implemented the following turnkey solutions over the years:
- Mother and child care units
- Burn units
- TB laboratories
- Blood Banks
- Cardiology Departments
- Emergency treatment centres
- Operating theatres
- Intensive Care
- Sterilisation
- Imaging
Service for International Projects
When it comes to international projects, the modular hospital approach is supported by the same services we offer to our German clients. The Demand Driven Supply System (»DDSS«) supports users in ordering accessories, spares and consumables when they are needed through our electronic procurement platform. Technicians in our subsidiaries work with the same technical service concept that we have established successfully in our domestic market, including the testing equipment and documentation of services provided in product books.
Logistics
We operate our own logistic structures (6,500 sq. m) in Schwerte, Germany. With more than 12,000 items in stock we have the flexibility to manage large projects and to respond to emergency requirements at short notice. We can directly apply our approved supply chain management to all processes involved to ensure the high-quality provision of goods and services to our clients worldwide; this involves operation of cold-chain facilities and capacities and qualification of handling hazardous goods. With more than 20 full-time employees in our logistics centre, we are able to handle large projects in-house.