---
title: How Healthcare Supply Chains Stay Stocked | Opendock
description: How Randy Subramany and the NewYork-Presbyterian's supply chain team keeps 40,000 specialized SKUs stocked, juggles vendors, and weighs new tech.
image: https://blog.opendock.com/hubfs/episode11.png
---
[](https://blog.opendock.com/)
[](https://blog.opendock.com/)
- [Home](https://blog.opendock.com/)
- [Carrier Login](https://carrier.opendock.com/app/login)
- [Warehouse Login](https://nova.opendock.com/login)
More results
En
- English
- [Español](https://blog.opendock.com/es)
- [Español - México](https://blog.opendock.com/es-mx)
- [Português - Brasil](https://blog.opendock.com/pt-br)
- [Home](https://blog.opendock.com/)
- [Carrier Login](https://carrier.opendock.com/app/login)
- [Warehouse Login](https://nova.opendock.com/login)
Opendock Blog
#### Share this
[Share on X](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https://blog.opendock.com/episode-11-of-whats-up-dock-podcast&text=How+Healthcare+Supply+Chains+Stay+Stocked+%7C+Opendock) [Share on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://blog.opendock.com/episode-11-of-whats-up-dock-podcast&t=How+Healthcare+Supply+Chains+Stay+Stocked+%7C+Opendock) [Share on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blog.opendock.com/episode-11-of-whats-up-dock-podcast&t=How+Healthcare+Supply+Chains+Stay+Stocked+%7C+Opendock)
# Episode 11 of What's Up Dock? Podcast
by [**jpallmerine**](https://blog.opendock.com/author/jpallmerine) on 30 August, 2023
**Key Takeaways**
- Hospitals must stock rare, specialized SKUs because patients can't substitute items.
- Supply chain teams stay invisible until a shortage disrupts direct patient care.
- Healthcare technology changes slowly because reliability outweighs speed in hospitals.
- Adaptability is the top trait for teams juggling dozens of specialized vendors.
Navigating Tech Challenges in Healthcare Logistics
When thinking of a hospital or healthcare facility, the first aspect that often comes to mind is the staff members — doctors, nurses, CNAs and more. Yet, there are so many *things* these professionals require to provide quality, specialized care.
[Randy Subramany](https://www.linkedin.com/in/randy-subramany-a1ab135b/), Director of Supply Chain at [NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital](https://www.nyp.org/), manages the supply chain logistics for eleven hospitals and health organizations in the New York City and upper New York area. With over a hundred people in his supply chain department and over forty thousand SKUs, his work ensures materials are readily available so physicians are capable of administering the best care for patients.
[](https://lp.opendock.com/dock-scheduling-ebook)
## What Makes the Healthcare Supply Chain So Unique?
**Healthcare supply chains cannot substitute items the way retail can, so even rarely used SKUs must stay in stock.** In retail, many stores aim to keep their SKU count low. Additionally, consumers are able to make substitutions when shopping. If a store does not offer green onions or they are out of stock, a customer can concede and purchase white onions instead with little to no hesitation or concern.
In healthcare, this could not be further from the truth. Extraordinary amounts of materials must be procured and remain stocked. If not, patients could suffer from inadequate care or worse, death. One specific SKU may only be used once every three months, but when it is used, it saves a life. This means the supply chain department absolutely must keep this material on hand.
*"In one specific case, we had a pediatric dialysis patient that required a specialized catheter size,"* Randy says. *"Typically, we use a thirty-centimeter-sized catheter, but this patient required a thirty-one-centimeter size. If we provide only the thirty, this patient's quality of care would be at risk."*
## Compassionate Care Behind the Scenes
Back to the initial thought that comes to mind when thinking about hospitals, supply chain teams work extremely behind the scenes to help provide care to patients. Often, the work begins to feel like a thankless role, only garnering attention when something is wrong or unavailable.
*"If everything is going right, you will typically hear nothing,"* Randy says. *"But the second something goes awry, all sirens go off in the hospital."*
Yet, the value of the role is undeniable. Knowing they play a role in ensuring people are properly and comfortably cared for is gratification enough for the supply chain team.
While healthcare's supply chain differs immensely from the supply chain functions of other industries, they are still faced with the same fundamental duties, with added responsibility and importance. "The added lens of our work meaning life or death for patients really drives and motivates what we do," Randy says.
## How Do Healthcare Supply Chain Teams Procure Specialized Materials?
**Procuring specialized materials means coordinating dozens of vendors and staying adaptable when things go wrong.** With forty thousand SKUs to maintain, it does not come as a surprise that there are countless vendors to work alongside in the healthcare supply chain space as well. This means that much of what Randy does in a day is centered around logistics.
*"Because healthcare is so specialized, this means there could be thirty vendors in one specific space,"* Randy says. "*The vendors' priority is producing and manufacturing goods. It then becomes our responsibility to find a way to get these items from their warehouses, wherever they may be, to a three-block-sized space in the middle of New York City."*
For instance, one of the vendors Randy works with weaves cardiovascular grafts — in Scotland.
With such a strong reliance on vendors, healthcare supply chain team members must navigate unfavorable conditions, such as labor shortages and strikes, [distribution breakdowns in global supply chains](https://blog.opendock.com/global-pharma-logistics) and more. This makes the number one quality in a strong supply chain team *adaptability*.
[](https://loadsmart.navattic.com/904j01ru?g=cmm0qo58p004d04l16aswd4fk&s=1)
## Backed by a Team of Experts
In this space, it is crucial to have a supply chain team that is full of individual professional strengths and expertise. Supply chain success relies on having several specialists on hand, including:
- An ERP systems specialist to manage reorders.
- An EDI transactions specialist to handle complex data exchanges with vendors.
- A shipping and logistics specialist to track goods in transit.
- Additional specialists as new needs arise across a globalized vendor network.
Especially in a globalized world, being supported by several, [specialized team members](https://blog.opendock.com/start-up-by-slowing-down-how-to-enable-your-team-to-get-things-done-efficiently) is key.
## Why Does Healthcare Technology Lag Behind Other Industries?
**Healthcare technology lags behind other industries because reliability matters more than speed when patient care is on the line.** *"Healthcare always lags behind the market when it comes to market shifts and technological advancements,"* Randy says.
This is for good cause. Reliability is the number one expectation in healthcare. When people go to a hospital, they expect a secure, tried-and-true system to support them. While the rest of the market is making a massive, rapid shift to automation and AI, some hospitals are still utilizing the same ERP system today as they were when some of their doctors were learning how to crawl.
Yet, they continue to do this because the systems in play are proven to be *reliable and trustworthy*. Making system changes takes years to accomplish in healthcare due to the pace of the work, the importance of the work and the confidentiality of the data that would need to be moved.
For this reason, healthcare will likely never be on the cutting edge of the newest available tech in the market, but once new tech has proved its abilities in other markets of reduced risk, healthcare facilities can choose to make that change with strong amounts of research and data to support their decision.
There is a gap in talent in healthcare leadership. Most leaders are either on the cusp of retirement or just beginning their careers. Those veteran leaders are accustomed to on-site data storage, and the ideology of changing systems and operations may be offputting to many. Those new to the field are pushing to make substantial changes to the technology on hand, which is an eventuality, after all.
While the healthcare industry naturally lags behind other markets, there is evidence that the industry is growing in the right direction toward [adopting new automation and AI technology](https://blog.opendock.com/pharma-supply-chain-warehousing). Many academic medical centers and academic teaching hospitals are beginning to adopt newer technology, and they are thriving with many patients flocking to their facilities for their cutting-edge capabilities and new, tech-enabled care capabilities.
As these technological advances continue to be enacted in care facilities, many hospitals will be forced to adapt or they will lose relevance.
That same tension between innovation and reliability shows up in telehealth logistics, where teams are [still overcoming barriers to innovation](https://blog.opendock.com/telehealth-logistics-overcoming-barriers-to-innovation) in a supply chain that had to be built from scratch.
## Innovation Under Regulation
Rightfully so, hospitals are [highly regulated entities](https://blog.opendock.com/regulatory-requirements-for-pharma-logistics), with rules coming from several angles: government, healthcare authorities and insurers being the most prominent.
Innovation moves slowly in fields that are under heavy regulation. Yet, in the coming years, automation's impact on the market will likely push regulating bodies to encourage hospitals (and their supply chains) to adopt new technology. After all, the promise that is offered could bring reduced burnout, increased quality and customization of care, better physician and patient experiences and more.
*Keep connected with us by subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere you get podcasts. [Find all the episodes here.](https://lp.opendock.com/whats-up-dock-podcast?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=hyperlink&utm_campaign=whats-up-dock-warehouse-opendock-q1-23&utm_content=episode-1-blog)*
Every episode of What's Up Dock? brings a new perspective on how supply chain, logistics, and warehouse leaders keep their operations running.
[](https://opendock.com/#request-a-demo)
## Frequently Asked Questions
### Why does the healthcare supply chain need so many different SKUs?
**Healthcare supply chains carry tens of thousands of SKUs because patients cannot substitute one medical item for another the way retail shoppers can.** A hospital like NewYork-Presbyterian may stock over forty thousand SKUs, and a rarely used item, like a specific catheter size, still has to be on hand because a patient's care could depend on that exact size.
### Why is healthcare technology adoption slower than in other industries?
**Healthcare technology moves slowly because reliability matters more than speed when patient care and confidential data are on the line.** Hospitals tend to keep proven systems in place for years, since a new tool has to prove itself in lower-risk industries first before healthcare leaders will trust it with patient outcomes.
### What skills make a hospital supply chain team effective?
**An effective hospital supply chain team combines specialized expertise with adaptability across dozens of vendors.** Roles like ERP system management, EDI transactions, and shipping logistics each require dedicated specialists, and the team as a whole has to adapt quickly when vendor shortages, strikes, or distribution breakdowns threaten patient care.
Topics: [Warehouse](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/warehouse) [Thought Leadership](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/thought-leadership) [Opendock Blog](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/opendock-blog)
#### Share this
[Share on X](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https://blog.opendock.com/episode-11-of-whats-up-dock-podcast&text=How+Healthcare+Supply+Chains+Stay+Stocked+%7C+Opendock) [Share on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://blog.opendock.com/episode-11-of-whats-up-dock-podcast&t=How+Healthcare+Supply+Chains+Stay+Stocked+%7C+Opendock) [Share on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blog.opendock.com/episode-11-of-whats-up-dock-podcast&t=How+Healthcare+Supply+Chains+Stay+Stocked+%7C+Opendock)
- Recent
- Topics
- Archive
Recent
Topics
- [Dock Scheduling (38)](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/dock-scheduling)
- [Gate Management (22)](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/gate-management)
- [YMS (18)](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/yms)
- [AI Warehouse Automation (17)](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/ai-warehouse-automation)
- [Case Study (17)](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/case-study)
- [AI Dock & Yard (16)](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/ai-dock-yard)
- [Pharmaceutical Logistics (16)](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/pharmaceutical-logistics)
- [Data Centers (12)](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/data-centers)
- [Opendock Blog (12)](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/opendock-blog)
- [Beverage Industry (10)](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/beverage-industry)
- [Reverse Logistics (10)](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/reverse-logistics)
- [SmartGate + Theft Prevention (10)](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/smartgate-theft-prevention)
- [Warehouse (8)](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/warehouse)
- [Digital BOL (7)](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/digital-bol)
- [Opendock (7)](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/opendock)
- [Shipper (7)](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/shipper)
- [CTPAT (4)](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/ctpat)
- [Dock Management (4)](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/dock-management)
- [Driver ID Validation (4)](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/driver-id-validation)
- [Podcast (4)](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/podcast)
- [Cargo Theft (3)](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/cargo-theft)
- [ShipperGuide TMS (2)](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/shipperguide-tms)
- [Asset (1)](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/asset)
- [Award (1)](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/award)
- [Blog (1)](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/blog)
- [Brokerage Services (1)](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/brokerage-services)
- [Data (1)](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/data)
- [Events (1)](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/events)
- [Opendock Index (1)](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/opendock-index)
- [PO Validation (1)](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/po-validation)
- [Thought Leadership (1)](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/thought-leadership)
- [eBooks (1)](https://blog.opendock.com/tag/ebooks)
See all
Archive
- [October 2026 (5)](https://blog.opendock.com/archive/2026/10)
- [September 2026 (1)](https://blog.opendock.com/archive/2026/09)
- [August 2026 (30)](https://blog.opendock.com/archive/2026/08)
- [July 2026 (1)](https://blog.opendock.com/archive/2026/07)
- [June 2026 (34)](https://blog.opendock.com/archive/2026/06)
- [May 2026 (11)](https://blog.opendock.com/archive/2026/05)
- [April 2026 (20)](https://blog.opendock.com/archive/2026/04)
- [February 2026 (48)](https://blog.opendock.com/archive/2026/02)
- [January 2026 (1)](https://blog.opendock.com/archive/2026/01)
- [November 2025 (1)](https://blog.opendock.com/archive/2025/11)
- [October 2025 (16)](https://blog.opendock.com/archive/2025/10)
- [September 2025 (7)](https://blog.opendock.com/archive/2025/09)
- [August 2025 (17)](https://blog.opendock.com/archive/2025/08)
- [July 2025 (3)](https://blog.opendock.com/archive/2025/07)
- [June 2025 (4)](https://blog.opendock.com/archive/2025/06)
- [April 2025 (1)](https://blog.opendock.com/archive/2025/04)
- [March 2025 (1)](https://blog.opendock.com/archive/2025/03)
- [February 2025 (2)](https://blog.opendock.com/archive/2025/02)
- [October 2024 (1)](https://blog.opendock.com/archive/2024/10)
- [August 2024 (1)](https://blog.opendock.com/archive/2024/08)
- [November 2023 (1)](https://blog.opendock.com/archive/2023/11)
- [October 2023 (2)](https://blog.opendock.com/archive/2023/10)
- [August 2023 (1)](https://blog.opendock.com/archive/2023/08)
- [May 2023 (2)](https://blog.opendock.com/archive/2023/05)
- [March 2023 (1)](https://blog.opendock.com/archive/2023/03)
- [February 2023 (2)](https://blog.opendock.com/archive/2023/02)
- [January 2023 (6)](https://blog.opendock.com/archive/2023/01)
- [July 2022 (1)](https://blog.opendock.com/archive/2022/07)
- [May 2022 (1)](https://blog.opendock.com/archive/2022/05)
- [March 2022 (1)](https://blog.opendock.com/archive/2022/03)
- [August 2021 (1)](https://blog.opendock.com/archive/2021/08)
See all
### Subscribe by email
#### **About Opendock**
Opendock is a simple and powerful cloud-based dock scheduling software for warehouses that want to improve dock performance. By connecting shippers, carriers, brokers to the same online scheduling platform, warehouses can reduce detention fees, labor costs, and time spent on phone calls and emails.
Product
- [Carrier Login](https://carrier.opendock.com/app/login)
- [Warehouse Login](https://nova.opendock.com/login)
- [Support](https://opendock.com/support/)
- [Request a Demo](https://opendock.com/#request-a-demo)
Resources
- [ROI Calculator](https://opendock.com/#roi-calculator)
- [Community](https://community.loadsmart.com/hc/en-us/categories/14812430603411-Warehouses)
- [Developers API](https://developer.loadsmart.com/docs/opendock/overview/getting-started/)
Opendock is Powered by Loadsmart Inc. © 2026 - All rights reserved. SOC2 Type II.
- [Terms and Conditions](https://loadsmart.com/subscription-and-professional-services-agreement/)
- [Privacy Policy](https://loadsmart.com/privacy-policy/)
- [Security](https://lp.loadsmart.com/security)
```json
{
"@context" : "https://schema.org",
"@type" : "BlogPosting",
"author" : {
"@type" : "Person",
"name" : "jpallmerine",
"url" : "https://blog.opendock.com/author/jpallmerine"
},
"dateModified" : "2026-10-05T14:40:45.449Z",
"datePublished" : "2023-08-30T15:21:48.000Z",
"headline" : "How Healthcare Supply Chains Stay Stocked | Opendock",
"image" : [ "https://blog.opendock.com/hubfs/episode11.png" ],
"mainEntityOfPage" : {
"@id" : "https://blog.opendock.com/episode-11-of-whats-up-dock-podcast",
"@type" : "WebPage"
},
"publisher" : {
"@type" : "Organization",
"logo" : {
"@type" : "ImageObject",
"url" : "https://blog.opendock.com/hubfs/ls-logo.png"
},
"name" : "Loadsmart"
}
}
```
```json
{
"@context" : "https://schema.org",
"@type" : "FAQPage",
"mainEntity" : [ {
"@type" : "Question",
"acceptedAnswer" : {
"@type" : "Answer",
"text" : "Healthcare supply chains carry tens of thousands of SKUs because patients cannot substitute one medical item for another the way retail shoppers can. A hospital like NewYork-Presbyterian may stock over forty thousand SKUs, and a rarely used item, like a specific catheter size, still has to be on hand because a patient's care could depend on that exact size."
},
"name" : "Why does the healthcare supply chain need so many different SKUs?"
}, {
"@type" : "Question",
"acceptedAnswer" : {
"@type" : "Answer",
"text" : "Healthcare technology moves slowly because reliability matters more than speed when patient care and confidential data are on the line. Hospitals tend to keep proven systems in place for years, since a new tool has to prove itself in lower-risk industries first before healthcare leaders will trust it with patient outcomes."
},
"name" : "Why is healthcare technology adoption slower than in other industries?"
}, {
"@type" : "Question",
"acceptedAnswer" : {
"@type" : "Answer",
"text" : "An effective hospital supply chain team combines specialized expertise with adaptability across dozens of vendors. Roles like ERP system management, EDI transactions, and shipping logistics each require dedicated specialists, and the team as a whole has to adapt quickly when vendor shortages, strikes, or distribution breakdowns threaten patient care."
},
"name" : "What skills make a hospital supply chain team effective?"
} ]
}
```