The COVID-19 pandemic has strained the entire healthcare system, including medical technology (medtech) organizations. The cancellation and postponement of elective procedures at hospitals and clinics has disrupted demand for surgical and diagnostic devices and halted typical face-to-face customer engagement. As a result, medtech organizations face near and medium-term revenue and margin erosion, reduced customer access, and increased business complexity as different geographies and treatments recover from the pandemic at different paces.

As elective procedures resume, medtech suppliers face supply chain disruptions. Meanwhile, healthcare providers (HCPs) are challenged to quickly prioritize the backlog of cases and re-schedule them. These conditions require a drastic change to the traditional ways of engaging and selling to HCPs. That’s why we’re excited to announce the Salesforce Restore Elective Procedures solution to help medtech companies respond quickly to new market demands and remain nimble as conditions change.

Combining the best of Health Cloud, Marketing Cloud, and Einstein Analytics for Healthcare, the Restore Elective Procedures solution empowers medtech organizations to:

Surface surgical case and field inventory insights: Link disparate systems to proactively track and optimize field inventory and surgical case scheduling.

Personalize remote enablement and support: Connect HCPs and reps to coordinate pre-case planning, case support, and ongoing resources.

Predict performance with built-in analytics: Gain key account insights to identify growth and risk projections and performance over time.

In a recent webinar, Restore Elective Procedures in the New Normal With Salesforce, we shared what we learned from customers about the challenges they’re facing and how technology like ours is helping them adapt, including how to:

• Optimize field inventory: Intelligent field inventory management and accurate forecasting models can make tasks easier for reps. They can submit accurate forecasts to manufacturing partners, and arrange shipping and delivery so products arrive in time to cover scheduled procedures.

• Reimagine surgical preoperative planning approaches: Face-to-face access to healthcare professionals and administrators will likely continue to be restricted. This disrupts how medtech reps traditionally support preoperative planning. Given that the number of surgeries planned is likely to be higher than normal, companies should ensure they don’t miss out on opportunities due to scheduling clashes. Companies that have a 360-view of the customer and the ability to collaborate with other team members in real time can take action fast. They will be better able to quickly find colleagues to cover any scheduling conflicts, reduce stress on their product supply teams, and ultimately ensure customers get the support they need.

• Boost virtual customer support capabilities: Reps play a critical role as product experts, sharing best practices and training on cutting-edge equipment. But now that face-to-face engagement is restricted, companies should strengthen their go-to-market models. Focus on prioritizing and scaling the digital capabilities that enable reps to connect with customers online, including virtual training and online product demonstrations.

By optimizing sales and service operations to suit the new conditions, medtech organizations can recover quickly and prepare for the future. Contact us to learn more about how Salesforce can help your business get back on track.