Unilab scored another first in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry by winning the Gawad Sinop Corporate Award for Excellence in Supply Management Practices given by the Philippine Institute for Supply Management (PISM) and the Foundation of the Society of Fellows in Supply Management (SFSM).
Gawad Sinop Award is given to a corporation with best practices in supply management that demonstrate leadership and innovation and that help develop the supply management profession as a strategic contributor to business.
President & CEO Carlos C. Ejercito led the Unilab Supply Team in receiving the award during PISM’s 16th Annual Conference and Trade Exhibit held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel last April 4.
Supply management model
The constant balance between high quality and affordability so Filipinos can avail of quality healthcare underscores the key role of supply chain management (SCM) in fulfilling Unilab’s business and social objectives. We not only take advantage of economies of scale, but we also ensure that “quality at source” is an operational prerequisite throughout the Unilab value chain—from demand forecasting and materials sourcing to manufacturing and distribution.
Such approach does not only sustain the necessary balance, but also rightfully places SCM at the strategic core of Unilab’s mission to provide consumers with better access to quality healthcare—thus, humanizing the function within the broader, more relevant context of human health and wellness, rather than merely approached as an organizational responsibility to achieve the bottom line.
Our SCM philosophy is rooted on the Bayanihan spirit, the bedrock of Unilab’s corporate culture, where everyone does his or her fair share to achieve a common goal. This is reason why even the structure of Unilab’s Supply Team is interdisciplinary, facilitating efficient cross-functional alignment among the Materials Management, Materials Planning and Sourcing, Quality Assurance & Chemistry, and Manufacturing divisions.
Joining hands to excel
This interdisciplinary SCM model facilitates the effective supplier relationship management characterized by best practices like the Quarterly Supplier Business Review, Suppliers Conference, and the Supplier Quality Management Program, which culminates with the awarding of top and preferred suppliers in the annual The Outstanding and Most Admired Supplier (THOMAS) Awards.
The tight alignment and coordination among supply teams in the Philippines and its international affiliates also enables Unilab to undertake global sourcing and contracting by leveraging on its solid network of international partners and regional manufacturing affiliates to ensure a steady stream of affordable quality products.
Furthermore, the model also enables Unilab to undertake best practices in supply management with high-impact results to Unilab business such as the Supplier Early Engagement program that resulted in the lead-time reduction by at least 20 percent, and the Just-In-Time program that reduced inventory coverage for several raw materials from 4-5 months to 3-2 weeks and freed up approximately 2,100 sq. m. in warehouse space. The five-year Cycle Time Reduction program also reduced overall supply chain lead-time and thereby improved the supply chain flexibility and reduced inventory levels.
Clearly, the role of supply chain management is critical and integral to Unilab’s business and social objective of expanding the benefits of Pharmacoeconomics so that as many people as possible have better access to trusted quality healthcare. |
