Mercury Medical focuses on supply chain visibility

Customer Story

Integration and supply chain visibility were the main factors for Mercury Medical when the company decided to change its supply chain software.

Mercury Medical is a comprehensive healthcare company specializing in anesthesia, respiratory and critical-care products and services. The company is recognized for its excellence as a manufacturer of high-quality medical devices. Mercury Medical is headquartered in Clearwater, Florida with a regional depot in Atlanta, Georgia. As well as a growing workforce - currently at 170 employees - these locations maintain a five-million dollar inventory of equipment and spare parts.

Pressure on margins

The medical equipment and supplies distribution industry is undergoing dynamic changes as a result of the information technology that is being applied to the supply chain. Older, time-consuming and labor-intensive practices are being abandoned in favor of supply chain management software solutions that optimize both standard routines and the generation of key information.

“This was exactly the situation that we found ourselves in some years ago”, explains Leslie Freeman, IT Director, Mercury Medical. The company was using software no longer supported by the vendor. In addition, their hardware was cumbersome and costly to maintain.

To preserve margins by cutting costs, and at the same time continuing to offer top-level supply chain distribution and services to its customers, Mercury decided to search for a new business system. They needed a solution that would address every business detail through the use of automation, integration and information as fundamental resources.

One system, across the business

After a thorough search of the market, Mercury chose IBS Enterprise software. One of the main criteria for Mercury’s selection was IBS ability to provide a packaged software product aimed at the medical equipment and supplies industry, along with a one-stop-shop service offering. Mercury needed one system across all its business functions that would modernize operations, provide stability and reliability, and ensure supply chain visibility.

IBS sales order management software automatically streamlines order entries and integrates them with Mercury’s warehousing and logistics. Further modules include invoicing and financials software for on-demand seamless invoicing and accounting based on real-time information; warehouse management with RF technology, picking and delivery, procurement, production control, alert management, business analysis, e-business and service management.

“It’s the integration of all these processes that has given us the most benefits,” notes Freeman. “Our sales and purchase processing are much faster. At the same time, we have minimized errors and enhanced our logistics planning.”

IBS has also provided Mercury with interfaces that automate its shipping process. This means that once picking is confirmed, the system updates appropriate freight costs. Mercury is able to track parcels through to customer delivery, which has resulted in improved customer service.

100% Reliability

Mercury’s core business encompasses Hospital Sales, Biomedical Clinical Services, Mercury Medical Manufactured Products (MMP), Architectural Products, International, Medical Gas Certification and Rental Equipment. They are also active with subsidiaries in Alternate Site Business, such as Home Care and ShurShip. Medical equipment distributors are subject to intense pressure to reduce healthcare costs. At the same time, the companies are expected to keep providing reliable deliveries of goods that are critical to the health and lives of the public.

Mercury must ensure that valuable data is not lost and that operations are up and running, 24/7. All hardware servers are based at the company’s Atlanta location. This is where Mercury decided to install a disaster recovery operation. It provides reliable support for critical data as well as 100% reliability, with the absolute minimum downtime. “Because our data is accessible at all times, our customers are assured that deliveries will arrive at the right time and the right place,” explains Freeman.

New applications

IBS software comes with integrated service management software. Full integration with IBS enterprise software gives Mercury a powerful tool for providing the highest levels of customer service, while managing its resource utilization in the most efficient manner. The solution automatically handles much of the routine work of managing after-sales service. All customer and product data relating to goods sold or supplied is available instantly for after-sales operations and management – with no re-keying. “With IBS software in place, we now have visibility of our service agreements and orders, resulting in more accuracy and a faster, more efficient service operation,” says Freeman.

In the future, IBS NetStore will be used to provide Mercury’s customers with a user friendly on-line service, that simplifies order processing. IBS Netstore makes Internet dialog more interactive and provides Mercury’s customers with real-time information, order tracking and stock availability. “Thanks to its complete integration with IBS software, we have fast, easy, low-cost access to our customers, giving us a far wider audience to do business with,“ explains Freeman. 

Faster and more efficient operation

Mercury’s implementation goal was to go-live without too much impact on its day-to-day operations. The company wanted to ensure that its customers received the same level of service by continuing to offer the best products at the best prices, delivered on time. The implementation of IBS software was very successful and the professional IBS team played a fundamental part of the process. “Since installing IBS software everything is faster and more efficient, and we are able to run with fewer resources,” says Freeman.

Health awareness is occupying far more time in people’s minds than ever before. Mercury is pre-eminent in providing solutions to health problems and, with IBS supply chain software in place, the future will see even more benefits being brought to its business, as well as the health of the nation.

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