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"Is this a good idea?"
 


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Is this a good idea?, chaimFL, 06:50:46, 7/06/2006
Purchasing, michael, 14:46:22, 7/07/2006, (#1)
might be done already, Graydon, 01:02:15, 7/14/2006, (#2)
RE: Group purchasing, DBeaver, 01:00:51, 7/16/2006, (#3)

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"Is this a good idea?"
Posted by chaimFL on 06:50:46 7/06/2006
I'm really interested in starting my own business and I've been doing some brainstorming lately. The most recent idea that I've come up with (I hope it's not silly) is distribute medical supplies. I would want to supply to doctor's offices and hospitals. The concept I have is to work as a centralized buying location.

My assumption is that Tennet Hospitals, Memorial Hopitals, Baptist Hospitals within a certain region centralize their own buying, but what if the supplier took all the quantities from all the hospitals (and/or doctors) and did cental buying.

This way, if memorial usually buys 10,000 boxes of product X, Tennet buys 8,000, and Baptist buys 9,000 boxes in stead of getting prices based on their perspective quantities they would get prices based on the total quantity of 27,000 and still only get the quantities they need.

Any thoughts?


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1. "Purchasing"
Posted by michael on 14:46:22 7/07/2006
>I'm really interested in starting my own
>business and I've been doing some
>brainstorming lately. The most recent
>idea that I've come up with
>(I hope it's not silly) is
>distribute medical supplies. I would
>want to supply to doctor's offices
>and hospitals. The concept I
>have is to work as a
>centralized buying location.

>My assumption is that Tennet Hospitals, Memorial
>Hopitals, Baptist Hospitals within a certain
>region centralize their own buying, but
>what if the supplier took all
>the quantities from all the hospitals
>(and/or doctors) and did cental buying.
>

>This way, if memorial usually buys 10,000
>boxes of product X, Tennet buys
>8,000, and Baptist buys 9,000 boxes
>in stead of getting prices based
>on their perspective quantities they would
>get prices based on the total
>quantity of 27,000 and still only
>get the quantities they need.

>Any thoughts?

If you have experience as a procurement professional you'll have a good chance at convincing the hospitals to work together. On the other hand, the suppliers are not always willing to accept this kind of group purchasing.

Might be a good idea to spend some time on the NAPM website at www.napm.org.

Michael
http://www.CompareMyPhoneBill.com


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2. "might be done already"
Posted by Graydon on 01:02:15 7/14/2006
From what I've seen, this idea is a good one, but already being done.

Medical facilities typically buy ## of x, ### of y, and ### of Z... and they don't go to each company, they go through one central supplier that can get everything that they need.

Food industry is the same way. They don't buy chicken from Tyson, ketchup from Heinze and beer from Miller... they go to one middle man that gets it all.

It's a great concept (central sourcing) but you'll have to find a market that isn't using it yet.

Marlin Creek - Idea Seeds
http://marlincreek.com


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3. "RE: Group purchasing"
Posted by DBeaver on 01:00:51 7/16/2006
Many of the hospitals in your area may already be part of a larger buying group. In some cases, local hospitals are affiliated with a management company.

It doesn't hurt to ask, but you may not find enough buying independently that you could build the volume you'd need to get the most out of the volume buying.

I have several hospital buyers, but serve a narrow niche outside the medical supplies. My clients call me for their imprinted promotional products.

Dennis


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