Let's talk about the work of a medical equipment trading company (dealer).

I'm running out of ideas for blog posts, so I'm going to try exploring a new genre.
This time, I'll be writing about the realities of working for a trading company (dealer) that sells medical equipment.
When I searched online, most of the results were job search and career change websites.
Since I haven't seen much about this on personal blogs, I thought I'd write about it for people who are interested in this industry.
However, this is based on my own experience, so I think there may be differences depending on the company.
note that.

What is a medical equipment trading company?

Specialized consumables used within hospitals mainly include medications and medical equipment.
Among medical equipment trading companies,Wholesalers that sell medical devicesThat's how it works.

Our role is to purchase medical equipment from manufacturers and sell it to hospitals.
Medical devices come in a wide variety of sizes, from small to large.
Inexpensive items that are easy to imagine include gauze, needles, and syringes.
Examples of expensive medical devices include plates and screws used in fracture treatment, and artificial blood vessels used in cardiac surgery.
You probably don't see these kinds of things very often in your daily life.
We also handle medical equipment such as blood pressure monitors, electrocardiographs, AEDs (automated external defibrillators), and ultrasound machines.

What is the difference between a dealer and a manufacturer?

Now, earlier, the medical equipment trading company(Often called a dealer)They explained that they purchase products from manufacturers and sell them to hospitals.
So why do manufacturers use dealers instead of delivering directly to hospitals?

The main reason is the outsourcing of delivery operations.
If manufacturers were to deliver directly to the numerous hospitals, there wouldn't be enough staff, no matter how many there were.

However, by wholesaling their products to local dealers who then deliver them to hospitals, manufacturers can concentrate on sales activities such as product promotion and product development.

In other words, the basic view is that dealers are experts in delivery, and manufacturers are experts in product knowledge.

However, dealers are not simply delivering goods; they are required to have at least a basic, broad, and shallow understanding of various products.
This is because dealers are the ones who actually deliver the products to the sites, and they often receive inquiries from hospital staff.
Therefore, dealers also need to have a certain level of knowledge about various things.

Another major difference between us and manufacturers is that we can handle products from a variety of manufacturers.

Manufacturers can only sell their own products, but dealers can handle products from various manufacturers.
This is arguably the biggest advantage and the most appealing aspect of being a dealer.

Specific job duties

Now, as for the specific job duties, they vary depending on the company or hospital.
Personally, I think they can be divided into the following three categories.

Delivery operations

I believe this is a fundamental act.
This job involves receiving orders from hospitals and delivering the products they request.
The basic process involves receiving orders, sourcing the products from manufacturers, and then delivering them to hospitals once they arrive.
Of course, there are also requests from customers who need products urgently and require them to be delivered quickly.
Other common forms include,Operator rentalThere is such a thing.

This system involves providing instruments and implant materials used in a particular surgery as loaned items, and only purchasing those that are actually used.
This type of structure is common in orthopedics and cardiology.
In a particular surgery, it's impossible to know which product to use until the surgery is actually performed, so various types and sizes of products are prepared.
Many medical devices used for treatment or implantation inside the body are expensive, so it's impossible to have patients purchase all of them in advance.
Therefore, expensive implant products are often delivered in this form.

Sales activities

This is a sales activity as a dealer.

For example, this involves promoting product B to encourage customers to switch from product A, which is being supplied by another dealer, to product A.
I will accompany manufacturer B and the hospital to lobby the doctors and staff who have the authority to make decisions.
We will explain the product advantages and cost benefits of B, and work towards securing our company's supply contract.
Of course, if the dealer supplying product A notices, they might take defensive measures such as lowering the price...
The back-and-forth between them is one of the things that makes it interesting.
We also receive many requests for quotes from hospitals.

Many inquiries are about the approximate price of product A, and also request catalogs and quotes for similar products.
In such cases, the dealer will benefit regardless of which product they stock.
However, if the same quote request has been made to other dealerships, it will simply become a price competition.

Negotiation activities

This is a negotiation activity directed not at the hospital, but at the manufacturer, which is our supplier.

For example, this could include requests such as, "We're using the product we're currently supplying, so we'd like a price reduction."
Also, if a hospital asks for a lower price on the estimate we submitted, we sometimes negotiate to see if we can lower it further.
There are actually many different pieces of information that are needed to conduct this negotiation.
However, I feel that the success or failure of negotiations ultimately depends largely on the relationship between the dealer and the manufacturer.
You could also call it trust, or likes and dislikes.

What is required

There are two aspects to what is expected of dealers.
One requirement is from hospitals, and the other is from manufacturers.

Typical requests from hospitals include: "We want lower prices for our products," "We want proper delivery service," "We want suggestions for better products," and "We want a variety of information."
In other words, most of the work is directly related to these four things.

And a typical example of what manufacturers want is simply this: "We want you to sell a lot of our products."
Related to that, there's also the request for "information about hospitals."
If you can understand what both parties are looking for and connect them effectively, this is a job that will naturally go well.
If you try to do everything from your own perspective without realizing these things, you might find yourself in a difficult situation.

The good and bad points of this job

First of all, one of the good points is the high degree of freedom in your work.
Of course, there are essential tasks like delivery that must be completed, but there's also a lot of room for you to take initiative.

Most importantly, if you study properly and acquire specialized knowledge, it becomes significantly easier.
For those who enjoy studying and want to grow, there's always plenty to learn, making it an ideal choice.

Another advantage is that you gain broad knowledge about medical devices, making it relatively easier to switch jobs to a medical device manufacturer.

One downside is that the workload tends to be heavy.
Due to the nature of trading companies, which purchase goods from manufacturers, add a profit margin, and sell them to hospitals, they inevitably operate on a low-margin, high-volume business model.
The workload that each person has to handle will be on the heavier side.

Also, as this is the medical industry, there are naturally emergency situations, which can sometimes take up unexpected time.
Because it involves people's lives, it's difficult to refuse even unreasonable requests, so it can be said to be a very difficult job for kind-hearted people.
Every job has its good and bad points.

I've written about various things, but I think the biggest factor that determines how difficult a job is is not the job content itself, but the human relationships.
This article won't go into detail about interpersonal relationships, but I hope it's at least somewhat helpful.