Medical device innovation extends to research and development, production and service of the three links

In addition to medical device manufacturers direct force in the sales cycle, more innovative tentacles extend to the entire business chain – around the development, production and service sectors expanded three catch.

Recently China Pharmaceutical Industry Information Center released the “China Health Industry Blue Book (2015 Edition)”, which is expected in 2019 China’s medical device market will reach 600.3 billion yuan. This figure is equivalent to 2/5 of GDP in 2014 in Shenzhen.

Faced with such a huge “cake”, behind certain laws of the market determine its surging competitive business. Health community learned that in addition to domestic and foreign medical device manufacturers direct force in the sales cycle, more innovative tentacles extend to the entire business chain – around the development, production and service sectors expanded three catch.
R & D effort
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs once said, the difference between leaders and follow the trend lies in innovation. Thus, the aim Everlasting medical device manufacturers often refuse to “follow suit” label, have to invest heavily in research and development.

Philips, for example, the company has been pursuing “meaningful innovation.” According to its 2014 annual report, the 2013 R & D investment of up to 1.7 billion euros, a total of 1500 patent applications filed, Innovation Park located in Asia reached 13. Domestic medical device companies in the fast-growing Mindray also attach importance to innovation. Shenzhen Economic Daily reported in 2014 a mention, Mindray’s nearly 10,000 employees in 2,000 people mainly do research and development, the company invested 10% of total annual revenue as R & D costs in the world, has 10 research and development centers, investment domestic enterprises is rare.

Of course, it is undeniable that the current level of domestic research and development of medical devices still lags behind foreign brands, but with the national policy to encourage businesses and the awakening of consciousness, the more developed eastern part of the region (such as Shanghai, Suzhou) medical device manufacturer, has mostly crossed imitation, market for two stages of technology development, and gradually moving towards independent design and innovation.

Huge capital and manpower, is the lead medical device R & D, where?

Based on each company’s own plan to develop marketing strategies vary, but the Deputy Secretary General of Shanghai Medical Device Industry Association Wang Yunlong recently in the “Shanghai China” online interview, pointed out that the four major technology trends of medical devices: First Future hardware of medical devices will be more intelligent, functional interior equipment and systems are more complex, and the operation was more simple, diagnosis and treatment will be relying on the support of large databases and information technology; the second is the product of intelligent and simple , thus enabling more specialized diagnosis and treatment from the hospital to the family; the third is when the field of biology and physics, product development, engineering design is more cross-integration, integrated composite trend more obvious; Fourth, the development of technology greatly improve the accuracy of clinical diagnosis and treatment in the upper space and time.

This trend is determined to give a lot of industry recognition. Some even further analysis, the focus of competition in the medical device from the “hard” to “soft” transfer, some people think we should, “both soft and hard.” Of course, no matter what aspect of innovation, both as the Chinese Medical Society of Cardiology chairman Yong Huo said, do not let the doctor into spectators.
Quality Competition
The second competition “battlefield” is to enhance the quality of management. In the sense of product quality management of enterprises, management community already made assertions – is the key market and even the survival of its ability to stand firm. Therefore, those who focus on the long-term development of the enterprise, are the product quality management as an eternal theme of operations management.

From the regulatory point of view, no doubt that medical device manufacturers to comply since March 1, 2015 implementation of the “Medical Device Good Manufacturing Practice.” For example, in accordance with the requirements of the specification, the combination of product features, establish and perfect the production of medical devices to the quality management system, and to ensure its effective operation. In fact, some hope to stand out from the competition in the enterprise, based on the practice of the above specifications, but also take the initiative to pursue higher requirements.

A typical case is that of medical equipment inside a well-known foreign companies, they have set up for each business area dedicated quality control department, and the quality of administrators deemed innovative ideas into new products or services of key members, while I believe the quality of management belongs to a cooperative, rather than confrontational.

In addition, a similar set of quality management of the enterprise, given the sector a veto whenever they make a quality decision, the head of any other department can not intervene. At the same time, production workers if they feel there is any abnormal production line, but also the right to stop the production line running, even if it is later found a mistake is not being punished.

Had a medical appliance manufacturers also specifically held Quality Day. It is reported that the event first introduced to the participants by the quality control department quality assurance standards (QAS), and the use of tools such as PDCA continuous improvement of quality. Subsequently, the production line of talented employees to share operations and reduce errors accurately determine fault experience.

Good process in exchange for good results. April 2015 Health newspapers contained 2014 China Medical Equipment service survey data show high class ultrasound imaging equipment market share of several brands, each with an average annual number of failures per device is less than or equal to 1 times.

It is worth mentioning that the quality of domestic medical devices are also times, even some high-end medical equipment has reached international standards, but there is a lack of overall quality of the evaluation report. Just recently, the National Health and Family Planning Commission Director of Medical Administration Hospital Authority medical resources at Jiaoya Hui pointed out that the current domestic medical devices also lack scientific, objective and impartial evaluation of the quality of reporting, which is critical for decision-making health administrative departments.
Improved sale
Nowadays, China’s large amount of outpatient and emergency hospital daily easily broken million, a lot of long-term high-load operation of medical equipment, repairs and maintenance needs accordingly higher than abroad. In addition, medical institutions are generally no longer satisfied with simple equipment manufacturers to provide home repair services, and usually expect to get a more comprehensive preventive maintenance, and even technical training.

Thus, the level of service is becoming an important factor in determining the product’s reputation.

Because of this, trying to improve their competitiveness in the medical device manufacturer, service valued natural position, many innovative service initiatives continue to emerge.

Equipment Beijing hospital director told the health sector, designed to guarantee the sale of equipment maintenance, several large medical device inventories over the past decade sold equipment spare parts, although this takes a huge sums of money.

For medical device users eager to get skills training needs of some medical device manufacturers have come to teaching or education center established to familiar purchased medical device operation, even combined with the use of devices that may arise to carry out special training. And in this regard, Philips, Varian and other companies in the industry known as the model.

More a medical device manufacturer to break the “Who will buy my equipment training who ‘service tradition, and in cooperation with the Medical Exchange Foundation or industry associations, to develop training topics (such as radiology technician training), and then facing the country medical institutions open recruitment of trainee doctors, free to help them improve the diagnosis level of competence to practice.

2014 China Medical Equipment service survey results show that, although the market share of foreign brands of equipment still occupy obvious advantage, but few domestic brands have begun to eye-catching, such as Mindray ultrasound imaging device class to 8.6% market share ranked the fourth category, service satisfaction ranking second only to Philips.

With the wide range of service innovations, the industry is also a widely spread view that Identity: If the Chinese medical device market to further open service, will certainly promote more healthy and rapid development of this market, the hospital’s maintenance costs will also declined sharply. Furthermore, it was suggested that medical device manufacturers especially in the domestic manufacturers of medical devices, should establish a sound service system as soon as possible, “it will greatly enhance the market competitiveness.”