Director of Analytics & Transformation, Supply Chain
Froedtert Health
August 2023- The Journal of Healthcare Contracting
Jack Koczela is Director of Analytics & Transformation for Supply Chain. His responsibilities span all Supply Chain Data, Analytics, and Systems responsibilities. He also oversees several Supply Chain services, including the self-distribution operation, courier network and internal print shop.
Any recent stories of successful projects you can share?
Several come to mind:
- In partnership with our Value Analysis teams, we have developed Clinically Integrated Supply Chain Analytics. Using lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve developed more than 15 different dashboards that track our supply/implant clinical usage and how it impacts contract compliance and clinical outcomes. These dashboards have helped to drive conversations around savings, standardizations and contract conversions. For example, during the global contracts shortage, these data models guided our strategy to ensure we never ran out. Many of us desire a clinically integrated supply chain – these dashboards actualize that goal.
- As we moved to a virtual world, we recognized the risk of staff disconnecting from their team and job. Through structured huddles and informal “coffee talks,” we continue to break down silos. This year, all my teams achieved top tier performance on our annual staff engagement survey.
- Finally, we recently partnered with several key suppliers, GHX and Infor to develop a complete P2P process for implant (aka “Bill Only” orders). Through this effort, we now automate 60% of our implant orders. We have been able to shave days off our suppliers’ revenue cycle, significantly reduce the buyers’ workload and, most importantly, lead the way for other suppliers and providers to complete their own implant ordering automation.
What are the most important attributes of a successful supply chain team today?
A shared vision of success and a hunger to get there together. Supply Chain has a broad span of responsibilities and a variety of different jobs under one umbrella. Everyone must understand how their role leads back to better patient care. As leaders, we need to hold up shining examples of how we are part of the patient care team.
How do you measure the success of your team and its impact on the organization as a whole?
Five years ago, we set out to create a Supply Chain Department Balanced Scorecard. We’ve been publishing that monthly to our team, several senior leaders, key customers, and even to some key supplier partners. This scorecard measures our organizational goals and benchmarks us against our industry peers. This scorecard has helped us drive and communicate the story of millions of dollars in savings, supply disruptions and recoveries, dramatic increases in diverse supplier spend and many other successes.
What’s the biggest takeaway for you as a supply chain leader over the last few years of marketplace disruptions?
Live your values. In our department, we begin every meeting with a reflection on our organizational values, including “Work Together,” “Own It” and “Break Through.” In times of disruption, we relied on these values. We found that “working together” – using personal connections and communications – dramatically reduces disruptions. With creativity, and innovation, we have been able to break through barriers and use data to drive substitute or conservation strategies. Right now, our internal distribution operation is filling orders at an unadjusted 99.3% – far ahead of industry averages.
Sidebar:
SUPPLIER RELATIONS
With all the disruption in the marketplace, you’ve probably had some not-so-successful experiences with suppliers over the last few years. What should suppliers avoid doing?
1. Do not try to sell me anything new when the current situation is not acceptable.
2. Do not switch my point of contact too often. Instead, build trust through consistent contact, especially when the stakes are low.
3. Do not hide things when disruptions occur – be transparent and communicate! We know that disruptions are going to happen. I want to hear the news from you first, not from my inventory team or from a clinician when we run out of a product.
Are you engaging with suppliers remotely or in person?
Both. Frequent video collaboration and the opportunities to add a breadth of expertise to conversations has proven very valuable. We are also returning to more in person meetings, which I find very helpful for building trust and having deeper conversations.
What are the keys to a successful provider/supplier relationship?
Broadly speaking, trust is the foundation of a successful relationship. More specifically, Katie Vitasek from the University of Tennessee gave a fantastic presentation on five rules for better partnership. Two that stuck with me are focusing on outcomes versus transactions, and focusing on the “what” rather than the “how.” I take this to mean that providers need to lean into relationships and set big goals with their supplier partners. If healthcare providers and suppliers can collaborate to focus on what needs to be done, and agree on outcomes, we can deliver transformative value.