What to Look for in a Medical Supply Vendor
If you work on a medical procurement strategy for a hospital, medical lab, or clinical research facility, you already know the importance of reliable medical supplies. Supply chain issues can lead to delayed surgeries, and missed lab deadlines, causing frustration or even patient safety concerns.
Selecting the right medical supply partners is a key decision that has a wide-ranging strategic impact on outcomes for facilities.
So, what really matters during the healthcare procurement process? What is the best way to evaluate a potential vendor? This checklist will help you select the highest quality suppliers with proven processes and a reliable record of delivering for customers.
Make Sure Suppliers Deliver Consistently
In medical procurement, a late delivery can be more than just an inconvenience, it can shut down procedures. You want a vendor who shows up with the right products, on time, without issues.
For context, during the COVID-19 pandemic, medical supply backorders shot up to nearly 40%. The typical industry rate of backorders pre-pandemic was around 5%. More recently backorders are estimated at around 10-15% as the impact from COVID-19 and other supply chain issues have persisted. These statistics show how fragile things can get when suppliers can’t keep up with demand or if there are major disruptions in supply. Working with vendors who have a good on-time delivery record and plans in place for disruptions in the market is a key step in any medical procurement strategy.
Ask potential vendors how they handle supply chain disruptions, for example, do they have diversified product ranges from a variety of manufacturers to offset risks? Do they have data on their on-time rates? Can they share references from organizations similar to yours? If they struggled during a crisis such as COVID-19, it’s understandable as many organizations were overwhelmed. What matters more is how they adapted to help customers through tough periods.
Look for Openness in Communication
One of the most important things every hospital procurement process should consider is good communication. A good vendor doesn’t go silent when things go wrong. You should expect clear, consistent updates about order statuses, delays, and pricing changes.
Look for suppliers who are willing to walk you through their process. Do they offer visibility into stock levels or delivery timelines? Can you reach someone when you need to escalate an issue? If they can’t answer important questions or if they aren’t communicating well before you sign, it’s unlikely they will suddenly get better after the contract is in place.
Compliance: Make Sure Your Vendor is Not Cutting Corners
No one enjoys talking about regulations, but in medical procurement, it’s absolutely critical. A vendor without the right certifications could put your patients, staff, and even your organization’s accreditation at risk.
At a minimum, your medical procurement strategy should include checking the main certifications of your vendor and the manufacturers they work with.
A vendor should work with manufacturers that are up-to-date with ISO 13485 for medical devices and supplies, be FDA registered (or CE marked in Europe), and follow Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards. Ask for documentation or evidence to see the quality standards, and make sure you actually follow up on checking it before you sign a contract.
Also, make sure your chosen suppliers stay up-to-date with regulation shifts, compliance details can change over time and you don’t want a supplier falling behind and dragging you with them.
Test Customer Service Before it’s Needed
The best time to judge a vendor’s support is before something goes wrong. Eventually, there will be a blip, maybe it’s a mislabeled order or a batch that shows up damaged.
Good vendors are easy to reach and quick to respond. They don’t make you wait or reach out on multiple occasions just to get an answer. Ask them what their response time looks like. Can they handle after-hours requests? Do they offer real-time order tracking? Some companies offer self-service portals, which can save you time.
A delayed response to a small issue today can turn into a larger-than-necessary issue tomorrow.
Can they Implement Tech That Makes Your Life Easier?
Manual ordering processes are time-consuming and error-prone. You want vendors that invest in the right technology - things like Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), online order dashboards, predictive AI, or barcode scanning systems.
The goal isn’t just about speed, it’s about accuracy and visibility. When your vendor’s systems talk to yours, you save time and reduce mistakes. So, ask whether they offer API integration or real-time inventory updates. It might seem technical, but your team will thank you later.
A Stable Business Means Fewer Surprises
You might not think about a supplier’s finances, but you should. If they’re struggling, you might start seeing stock-outs, disappearing SKUs, or missed delivery windows. Worse, they might go out of business mid-contract.
You don’t need to run a full audit, but check what you can — credit history, growth trends, how long they’ve been in business or the previous industry experience of key personnel. Look out for red flags like recent layoffs, mergers, or sudden leadership turnover. All of these can ripple into performance.
Ethical Sourcing and Sustainability Matter
Hospitals and universities are under growing pressure to align purchasing decisions with ethical and environmental standards. That means sourcing materials responsibly, treating workers fairly, and reducing waste wherever possible.
Ask vendors where products are made and how their supply chains are monitored. Do they have conflict-free sourcing policies? Are they measuring carbon output or participating in ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) programs?
Even if sustainability isn’t your top concern today, it might be in the near future, especially if your institution is publicly funded or research-based.
It’s About the Long Game — Not Just a Fixed-Term Contract
At the end of the day, you’re not just buying from a vendor, you’re partnering with them. A good supplier brings more to the table than just the products, they bring insights, adaptability, tech capabilities you might not have in-house, and a shared goal of keeping your operation running smoothly.
You’ll want someone who can grow with you, help you plan for new projects, and make changes when your team’s needs shift. If they’re only thinking about the sale, that’s a sign of potential issues in the future.
At MAP Medical we are with our clients for the long term, as a strategic partner providing technology, strategic planning, insights and a national distribution network, to help ease the burden on the healthcare procurement process. Each customer has an account manager to help with any queries or new orders in a timely manner.
This makes MAP Medical a key partner for hospitals, healthcare facilities, and research & educational labs. We have earned our customer's confidence to deliver products fast and priced competitively with a catalog of 500,000 products from over 3,000 global manufacturers. Get in touch with our team for more information on how we can help your hospital or facility.
The Healthcare Procurement Partner Checklist