The Healthcare sector presented its 2008 Supplier Awards on 23 April in Andover, USA, recognizing top suppliers Avnet, Nicolay, ViaSystems and NEC, as business partners who have transformed their business with Philips over the last 12 months.
Healthcare sector CPO, Sam Alexander, presented the Awards, which are a public demonstration of the value and critical role of Healthcare sector suppliers.
Avnet: Best Overall Winner 2008
When presenting Avnet with the Best Overall Award for 2008, Lynn Lovasco, Global Supplier Account Manager, came up with not one but five great reasons why this software and system solutions provider is a worthy winner. She praised Avnet’s global commitment to the Healthcare sector, its consistently high Global Supplier Rating System performance, its impressive early supplier development efforts (for example, working with Philips on a range of solutions from custom-made systems to high-end integration), and its effective Quality Initiative program that captures potential product failures prior to shipment.
Furthermore, Avnet has succeeded in reducing Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and consistently exceed contractual cost reduction goals – in 2007 they achieved a massive 9% reduction. It has also implemented a bonded inventory system at no cost to Philips, as well as an effective Supplier Owned Inventory program.
Avnet has supplied the Healthcare sector for six years, providing products including off-the-shelf computer components, Microsoft software license management services and full "white box" system integration.
Corporate Account Manager Bill Allan accepted the Award on behalf of Avnet.
"We view Philips Healthcare as a vital partner in developing strategies for long term Avnet success," said Bill. "We use feedback from Philips to develop strategies to further create value and win business."
Nicolay: Growth Contribution Winner 2008
Cables and sensors supplier Nicolay is one of the Healthcare sector’s most established suppliers, providing highly-engineered patient cables and sensors since 1974. However, Nicolay has never taken its relationship with Philips for granted.
According to Dan Morse (speaking on behalf of GSAM Eva Grundmann) the company has transformed and improved in line with the Healthcare sector and market requirements. In 2007, Nicolay refocused on fulfilling Philips strategic requirements by improving cost savings performance and establishing of low cost manufacturing facility.
Nicolay’s willingness to grow and develop as a supplier has resulted in a growth in its business with Philips – for example, improving the design of Nicolay’s ECG cables family has resulted in a 15% increase in demand; and joint low cost sensor design and implementation has achieved 40% savings along with a 23% increase in number of units required by end of 2008.
Marketing & Sales Director Rainer Schwartz accepted the Award on behalf of Nicolay.
"Thank you for 34 years of successful partnership and trust," said Rainer. "Nicolay takes this Award as a signal to continue this success story with Philips in the future."
ViaSystems: Breakthrough Winner 2008
GSAM Mark Bioros took pleasure in naming ViaSystems as winner of the Breakthrough Award, acknowledging that the printed circuit board supplier has certainly taken great steps forward over the past 12 months.
Not only has ViaSystems ramped up its Early Supplier Involvement efforts, it now provides formalized feedback on cost reduction opportunities. This has resulted in an impressive 6% reduction in PMCC (patient monitoring) product cost at design phase.
Moreover, ViaSystems has reduced Total Costs of Ownership by focusing on lean manufacturing and 6-Sigma initiatives. The company has invested in new equipment, and upgraded existing facilities as well as appointed an external consultant to drive continued improvement and efficiency.
These efforts have truly paid off, with ViaSystems achieving a 5% price reduction in its key product portfolio in 2007. The difference can also be seen in the company’s GSRS performance: they started 2007 at 68 points, and drove up scores to 83 by August (scoring a perfect 30 in the area of Quality).
Senior VP Sales & Marketing Rich Kampf accepted the Award on behalf of ViaSystems.
"We are honored to be the recipient of the 2007 Breakthrough Award and we are excited about our future with Philips," said Rich.
NEC LCD Technologies: Quality Award Winner 2008
NEC LCD has achieved strong year-on-year growth with the Healthcare sector, and now supplies a range of products including patient monitoring systems, CRS and DECG.
Geert Lievens speaking on behalf of the GSAM explained how NEC’s GSRS performance highlights its excellent performance in the area of Quality and Delivery. For example, NEC LCD had zero line downs even in the face of drastically increased demand, and it provided invaluable support in extending the manufacturing life of the current 8.4" Fusion Display. In terms of Quality, it can be proud of its consistently low rejection rates, and the fact that its products’ cosmetic performance generally exceeds specifications.
NEC LCD is also emerging as a design leader: its products have been recognized for features such as superior viewing angles, reduced thickness and new breakthroughs such as non-IPS technology for better viewing.
Omid Milani, Director Display Strategic Business Unit, accepted the Award on behalf of NEC LCD.
"We want to thank Philips Healthcare for the long term engagement and support," said Omid. "NEC has worked closely with and enjoyed a long-term relationship with Philips Healthcare. We are pleased to be recognized from such a high-caliber customer and look forward to our continued contribution toward the growth of their business."
The Awards ceremony was followed by an enjoyable dinner event, further cementing our relationship with these top suppliers.
Congratulations to Pawan Dhawan and the Healthcare supply management team on the success of the Awards program for 2008.
Date: 2008-05-28
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