UPS has set up a new enterprise team under an experienced manager to target the global healthcareindustry.
Bill Hook, who most recently oversaw UPS’s relationship with healthcare strategic accounts,has been named vice president of healthcare logistics. Angela L. Watson, a 17-year veteran UPSmanager, will succeed him as the vice president of healthcare strategic accounts.
In his new role, Hook will direct a team that ties together for healthcare customers smallpackage and heavy freight transportation services along with 3rd party logistics, distribution anda network of regulatory-compliant and controlled environment facilities.
The team will focus on healthcare companies engaged in biotechnical development or thatmanufacture or coordinate research trials in the pharmaceutical, medical device and equipment andsurgical supply markets.
“Healthcare has an increasingly complex supply chain, unique requirements and societalimpacts that necessitate this focus,” said Kurt Kuehn, UPS senior vice president of worldwide salesand marketing. “We’re combining UPS’s supply chain management capabilities and healthcare expertiseto accelerate new product entry, provide detailed inventory, expiration information and reportingcompliance and respond to service and critical care needs.”
The healthcare supply chain has become incredibly complicated over time through reliance onmulti-level distribution partners. These can include suppliers and clinicians through hospitals andphysicians as well as retail channels, direct-to-consumer delivery and technicians to repairsophisticated equipment.
Using UPS healthcare expertise, companies can streamline inefficient supply chains. Theresulting savings and benefits are derived from the way companies work with their suppliers; theway they package, label and ship devices and temperature-sensitive products; the way they store andfulfill orders; how they handle and offer visibility to those orders, and ultimately, order-to-cashmanagement for more rapid payment. Through it all, UPS works with these customers to comply withchanging regulations to ensure product safety and critical care responsiveness.
The UPS healthcare logistics focus will be organized along four functional areas to addressUPS products, customer relationships, global infrastructure and information technology. The teamwill constantly assess industry trends and emerging issues to develop the resources most useful tothe healthcare industry.
