3 Supply Chain Contingency Planning Tips for Medical Device Companies

Scott Hothem • July 16, 2014

The recent months have brought some intense weather to all corners of our country. From the “Polar Vortex” last winter to violent tornadoes across the Midwest to Hurricane Arthur, each new day and week holds something new and potentially challenging. The only thing constant about weather is change. Theses volatile climate patterns unfortunately bring more than wind, snow, rain and lightning. Unfortunately these events cause a spike in emergency room and hospital visits. There have already been 41 tornado fatalities in 2014, according to NOAA. In fact during the Polar Vortex, Modernhealthcare.com reported that hospitals in Detroit brought in additional staff on multiple occasions to treat ER patients.

To make things more challenging, these additional visits and demands on hospital staffs and medical groups are often coupled with constraints on resources and accessibility. Over the 4^th of July weekend, Hurricane Arthur left over 40,000 people with power and even caused a part of North Carolina Hwy. 12 to buckle on Hatteras Island. Last winter’s frigid temperatures and precipitation forced numerous surgeries and procedures to be rescheduled or cancelled. While organizations have contingency plans and redundancies in place to account for these scenarios, what back up strategy is there to account for supply chain complications?

The timely and precise demands that define medical device logistics needs to be maintained, especially in times of great need. Investing the time, energy and resources into contingency planning is like buying insurance. Hopefully you’ll never need it, but having the plans and process in place when these challenges arise can be the difference between life and death. These 3 elements can be implemented into your medical device supply chain, allowing your organization to persevere in the most difficult times.

Be pre-emptive: While weather plays a major role in the disruption of services and the addition of constraints on resources, there are many other factors that could disrupt your supply chain. Manmade disasters, business decisions and governmental factors, just to name a few. However by having a finger on the pulse of what is happening around your organization can allow you to forecast possible problems. Notifying the key logistical partners that make up your supply chain is key. Ensure everyone is on the same page and ready to find answer to potential questions.
Increase your essential supplies: To combat any lags or disruptions to your supply chain, having an abundance of the most necessary and important supplies stocked and accessible is crucial. Any device that you’ve been without in a similar situation should be maintained at a higher level to prevent a recurrence. While your bottom line is still a major consideration, you don’t have to throw your inventory management plan out of whack, but you do need to account for any delays.
Supplier audits: This is a key element in maintaining visibility. Understanding and seeing the process your logistic partners leverage, and more importantly the results, can show the imperative steps to protect it in an emergency, as well as where other resources can be pulled to create a lean, agile fulfillment plan when necessary.

Supply chain contingency is a key element within your overall strategy. Identifying and responding to potential risks can mitigate a substantial threat to not only your operations, but your community. In an Inbound Logistics survey, 73% of participating companies claimed to have experienced a supply chain disruption. 32% of those said it took over 1 month to recover. Working closely with your supply chain personnel and partners is a critical step in preparing for the worst. With a focus on visibility and a track record of results, Barrett Distribution Centers has the technology, man-power and resources to play a key role in your contingency planning.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

Recent Blog Posts

What Happens After You Sign With a 3PL?

By Faith Artieda • September 22, 2026

Signing with a 3PL can feel like the finish line after weeks of conversations, proposals, pricing, and warehouse visits. But the signature is really where the relationship begins. Before your first customer order leaves the building, your 3PL needs to turn everything discussed during the sales process into an operation that works for your brand every day. That transition matters. A good onboarding should make you feel more confident about the decision you just made, not leave you wondering what happens next. First, Your 3PL Gets to Know the Details During the sales process, your 3PL learns the larger story of your business. Once you sign, the questions become much more specific. What does your inventory look like? When are your busiest periods? How are orders received? Do certain products need special handling? Are there retailer requirements to follow? Do orders include branded packaging, inserts, kits, gift messages, or other details? This is where conversations become processes. Your team and your 3PL begin working through the information needed to build an operation around how your business actually functions. Then the Behind the Scenes Work Begins There is a lot happening before the first order ships. Systems need to communicate, inventory needs a home, and the people inside the warehouse need to understand what makes your business different.

Who should I meet before signing with a 3PL?

By Faith Artieda • September 21, 2026

You have talked with sales. You have reviewed the proposal. The pricing makes sense, the technology checks the right boxes, and the warehouse looks like it could support your business. Before you sign, there is another question worth asking: Who will actually be taking care of my business once the sales process is over? A 3PL relationship can last for years. The people you meet during the sales process are only the beginning. Your products will eventually be in the hands of facility leadership, operations teams, systems experts, warehouse associates, and others making decisions about your business every day. You should know some of those people before you become a customer. Start With the People Running the Building If possible, meet the general manager and members of the operations team at the facility where your inventory will live. These are the people who will learn the details of your business. They will be involved when volume suddenly increases, inventory arrives differently than expected, a retailer introduces a new requirement, or your team comes to them with something new. Bryan, who works across sales and marketing at Barrett Distribution Centers, recently discussed this on the Behind the Docks podcast.

Should I Visit a Warehouse Before Choosing a 3PL?

By Faith Artieda • September 18, 2026

A polished presentation can tell you what a 3PL promises to do. A warehouse visit gives you the chance to see what happens when those promises become real. If you are trusting a 3PL with your inventory, your orders, and ultimately part of your customer experience, visiting the facility can be one of the most valuable steps in the selection process. You get to move beyond the proposal and see the people and environment that could soon become an extension of your business. See Beyond the Sales Presentation Most 3PL conversations begin with capabilities. You will hear about locations, technology, fulfillment services, integrations, pricing, and experience. All of that information matters, but there are certain things that are difficult to understand from a presentation alone. Walking through a warehouse gives you a different perspective. Look at how inventory is organized. Watch how orders move through the building. Pay attention to how the team communicates and how employees interact with one another. Ask how the facility handles busy periods, unusual requests, and unexpected changes. You are not looking for a perfect warehouse. You are trying to understand how the operation works and whether you can picture your brand becoming part of it. Barrett's Bryan has identified “not doing site visits” and “not being encouraged to broadly meet larger teams besides the sales guy” as potential red flags when choosing a 3PL. Meet the People Who Will Know Your Business The salesperson may introduce you to the company, but they will not be the only person responsible for your experience once inventory arrives. That is why a warehouse visit should include conversations with the people who would actually support your business. Meet the general manager. Talk with operations. Ask about systems support and onboarding. Learn who you would contact when something unexpected happens. As Bryan explains, “You want to meet a good set of experts from every team because this is your supply chain. This is your company.” Those introductions matter because a strong 3PL relationship eventually becomes much more personal than a contract. When your volume suddenly increases, a retailer changes a requirement, or an inventory issue appears, you want to know there are people on the other side who understand your business and can work through the situation with you. Ask Questions You Cannot Answer From a Rate Sheet A site visit is also your opportunity to get curious. Ask how the team prepares for peak season. Find out what happens when order volume exceeds the forecast. Ask how inventory discrepancies are handled or how special projects fit into the normal flow of the building. If your brand requires custom packaging, kitting, retail compliance, gift messaging, or other details, talk about how those requirements would work in the actual facility. You can also ask about the building itself. Different facilities may have different strengths, teams, and experience. The goal is not simply finding out whether a 3PL has space available. It is understanding why this particular operation makes sense for your business. Pay Attention to the Culture Numbers are easier to compare than culture, but culture can have a tremendous influence on your experience with a 3PL. Notice how people speak to one another. Does the team seem comfortable asking questions? Are the people leading the tour familiar with what is happening on the floor? Do employees appear engaged with the work around them? Bryan describes Barrett as a place where people should be able to “be yourself, have an opinion, have a view, have a point of view.” Those qualities can be difficult to capture in an RFP. They are much easier to notice when you are standing inside the operation. Walk It Before Your Inventory Does Choosing a 3PL is not simply a decision about where your products will sit. You are choosing the people who may receive your inventory, solve problems, prepare orders, support your growth, and help deliver the experience your customers associate with your brand. At Barrett Distribution Centers, we encourage brands to get to know the people and operations behind the solution. A warehouse visit creates room for questions, conversations, and a clearer understanding of how the partnership could work once the sales process ends and the everyday work begins. So before your inventory arrives, walk the floor yourself. Meet the people. See the operation. Ask the questions. Your products may spend years inside that building, so it is worth knowing who and what will be waiting for them.