Suppliers can play a vital role in project planning. It may sound like a shameless plug for consultants, but having this evaluation performed by an objective entity is worth much more than the cost of the study. The hospital may not be ready for the project, and stopping can be hard enough without telling three suppliers that their time has been wasted. Results of the evaluation can help determine which suppliers are most appropriate to contact. When the information is presented to suppliers, each supplier has a common set of information to review.
Responses are therefore more comparable.
If suppliers do the initial legwork, they often each take their own approach to evaluation, causing confusion when it's time to compare suppliers and establish EMR expectations. A consultant evaluation can help save suppliers time and money. Because cost of sales for suppliers is extraordinarily high, minimizing their involvement until the organization is fully prepared keeps their efforts efficient. Suppliers really want a fair opportunity to market their products. Thus, a consistent interface with the hospital, a well-prepared organization, and correctly set expectations produce an environment where their products have the best chance of success.