As the pandemic arrived in the US in March 2020, Dealmed, one of the largest medical supplies distributors in the Northeast, saw an influx of requests from their customers — hospitals, healthcare systems, outpatient clinics, care providers, and service systems — for masks, protective clothing, nitrile gloves, and other personal protective equipment (PPE). Dealmed had already been working to source from overseas suppliers who Dealmed had built relationships with over the years, but their production capacity quickly became limited or nonexistent; and when there were supplies available, the costs were rising. The Dealmed team found themselves spreading out any equipment they could get among their customers to meet as much demand as possible, but it seemed endless as every organization tried to stockpile supplies. Dealmed sought out any source of PPE available as clients desperately needed every box and piece of equipment to operate and protect their workforce and communities until more equipment arrived.
By the summer of 2020, the Dealmed team connected with the US-based Alibaba.com Select team who provide a high-touch concierge service to help with all aspects of sourcing high volumes of medical and personal protective equipment — a new service that was launched in response to the disconnect between global supply and demand for protective equipment exacerbated by the pandemic. For a buyer to develop new supplier relationships, it often requires significant time and investment to vet supplier quality and their products, create contracts in both parties’ interest, and coordinate payments and logistics.
Dealmed explained their clients’ equipment needs, and the Alibaba.com Select team of experts fast-tracked the process by finding, vetting, and arranging the delivery of multiple sample products from trustworthy global suppliers. Once Dealmed approved the products, Alibaba.com Select handled all aspects of the order, including payment and order protection, production inspection and monitoring, and the shipping and delivery of Dealmed’s first order of more than 10,000 pieces of equipment to their warehouse in New Jersey. This first order arrived just in time to allow Dealmed to continue distributing critical medical supplies and equipment to their US-based clients.
After receiving the first order, Dealmed quickly placed additional orders which will help safeguard much needed supply to their customers. Thanks in part to the Alibaba.com Select team and their network of global suppliers, Dealmed has another reliable option to source PPE and have been able to better meet critical customer demand as the pandemic continues and cases surge again.
Want to learn more about sourcing PPE to keep your workforce and customers safe? Get in touch with the experts on the Alibaba.com Select team here.
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