From tool dealer to premium partner for medical technology
The power of Swiss innovation can be clearly seen in the field of medical technology.
Climbing the stairs is almost impossible, the patient's hip is just no longer able to play along. But thanks to an artificial hip joint, the patient's previous quality of life can be almost completely restored — that is the miracle of medical technology. "It goes without saying that there are extremely stringent demands in terms of the quality of the processes and products during such interventions," explains Andreas Schneider, Strategic Account Manager Medical Technology at Brütsch/Rüegger Tools. Under his leadership, the range of services for the field of medical technology has been expanded and the offering has been refined. "We continue to equip specialists with high-quality tools — that's part of our DNA". But for medical technology companies, it is not only essential that the tools are of the highest quality, but that they can be used efficiently and that procurement processes run seamlessly. Schneider and his team have focused on this. This has led to customer projects that are characterised by the bundling of competences and the use of new, smart, digital technologies.
A sector with relevance for Switzerland
Medical technology is a growth industry and according to the Swiss Medical Technology Association, Swiss Medtech, this technology forms the basis for first-class medical care. Over 500,000 medical technology products make it possible for hospitals, doctor's surgeries and nursing facilities to operate on a daily basis, ranging from artificial hip joints to dentures. Innovations in the field of medical technology therefore improve the quality of life for patients, make everyday life easier for people with disabilities and contribute to the prevention and treatment of illnesses.
Medical technology in numbers (Switzerland)
1'400
Enterprises
63'000
Employees
CHF 17.9 Mrd.
Turnover (2019)
CHF 12 Mrd.
Export (2019)
Medical technology is a highly technical and innovative industry. (Source: Swiss Medtech)
A holistic perspective
But how does Brütsch/Rüegger Tools actually go about offering added value to medical technology companies? "We address their industry-specific challenges in a very targeted manner", says Schneider. "And we do this at all relevant levels — from daily business through to long-term strategy". In this way, key issues such as increasing cost pressure, security of supply and process optimisation are dealt with. The specialist team at Brütsch/Rüegger Tools also supports medical technology companies when it comes to digitalisation.
Making life easier for patients with high-quality products — that's what medical technology is all about.
The right bundle for each level
Based on the aim of supporting customers in their various business areas, three service packages or "bundles" have been developed. The "Shopfloor Excellence" bundle is aimed at production managers who are constantly assessing their production and assembly processes in order to develop them further. "But we are also increasingly focusing on those in charge at other levels of the organisation", says Schneider.
A holistic approach is adopted to understand the requirements of medical technology.
The "Purchasing Excellence" bundle is intended for individuals responsible for strategic and operative purchasing who want to avoid machine downtimes and ensure optimal security of supply. The "Management Excellence" bundle, on the other hand, is designed for managers responsible for the sustainable success of the company and who thereby focus on key areas and improvement programmes. Each of these three bundles is a package bursting with practical tools and solutions and when combined, they can achieve their full potential: Reduced costs and effort and increased transparency are the key benefits.
Added value for our customers: optimise processes, digitalise, minimise effort and reduce costs
A range of success stories demonstrate how the bundles can take effect in action. "With one customer, for example, we were able to reduce the time required for conventional measuring, logging and reporting processes for bone drills from 10 minutes to just 22 seconds", explains Schneider. A key to this huge gain in efficiency is a non-contact measuring method and the downstream processes: These are now filed digitally, which reinforces the zero-defect strategy and achieves digitalisation without having to switch media. In light of the ever-present cost pressures in the medical technology industry, increased efficiency and transparency is a crucial competitive advantage.
The bundle approach also works on a larger scale: In the past, MRO projects have been carried out with all of the procurement processes being outsourced to Brütsch/Rüegger Tools. "This enabled us to provide value-added services for procurement by optimising processes, digitalising, minimising effort, reducing costs and ensuring security of supply", points out Schneider. The resulting cost and time savings are huge — and the customer can concentrate fully on their core business.