by
Joanna Padovano, Reporter | October 18, 2011
From the October 2011 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
Buying directly from the OEM, which typically translates into paying more money, is not the only way to procure a high-quality part.
“Customers are oftentimes reluctant to purchase such an expensive part secondhand, despite the fact that the OEM might be selling it for three, four, six times as much,” Glas says, using costly digital detectors as an example. “It’s very easy for the end-user to say ‘Well, they’re the OEM, they’re more expensive, but they’re the OEM and of course it’s going to be a great part.’ It comes down to [the fact that customers] have to trust the used parts vendor, they have to be able to recognize that if there is an issue, the vendor will stand behind it, replace it if there’s one available, and of course offer credits as applicable.”
The prevalence of parts providers overseas
According to Kramer, at least 25 percent of C&G Technologies’ parts business is international. “Over the last year that’s remained fairly steady,” he says.
JDI Solutions conducts approximately 20 percent of it business overseas, a statistic that has also been consistent over the past year.
Glas reports that about 35 percent of Adam Imaging Parts’ business takes place outside of the U.S. “I’ve noticed a bit of an uptick in international requests and sales,” he says.
Photo courtesy of AllParts Medical
Helms estimates that TROFF Medical Services conducts 15 percent of its business overseas.
Dave French, vice president of Mediquip Parts Plus, and Bob Woodward, president of TransAmerican Medical Imaging, both approximate that 10 percent of their companies’ business is international.
“It’s actually increased since last year,” says Woodward. “We hired somebody recently who speaks Spanish and he’s been tasked with improving our South American and Central American market.”
According to Carey Stoner, a sourcing specialist of biomedical parts for DMS Topline Medical, approximately 5 to 10 percent of his company’s business operates outside of the U.S. Kukes says that the company is currently looking at plans to expand its international market.
Developing trends
“As more hospitals are going towards the in-house model, we’re seeing a greater need for higher-end parts,” says Kramer, who has noticed that customers are becoming much more wary of entering into long term service contracts. “There’s really distaste for signing contracts, I think, because of just what [has been] held over people’s heads for so many years,” he says.
