The importance of having a strategic procurement plan Essay

The importance of having a strategic procurement plan - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that procurement planning as noted by Sanjay is a dynamic process that needs input from different groups of professionals. Therefore John recommends that strategic procurement and planning in an organization should be performed by a multidisciplinary team established particularly for the duty, with the involvement of various technical and management professional who is experienced in procurement and supply management of strategic health supplies. Where necessary, the procurement planning team might request expertise and advice from certain advisors.   The multidisciplinary team is established to make sure that the planning process is not interrupted. The responsibilities of the team are not merely limited to the planning of the products, rather it as well involves monitoring, evaluation, and implementation of the strategic procurement plan. The procurement of health products such as medicines in a healthcare organization requires full kno wledge of the supply system, the sister organizations and other institutions involved. To make sure that there is a continuous availability of products within the organization, the procurement planning team of the organization, has to formulate, coordinate, carry out and monitor the entire procurement process. The team should perform a quick situation evaluation of the supply system to establish possible problems and bottlenecks that could negatively impact the availability of products within the main organization and sister organizations. As explained by Sanjay medicines supply system is cyclic in its nature whereby each task is supported by the past task and leads systematically to the next. Supposing each task is carried out independently of one another instead of being an element of an integrated system, the result is increases in costs, frequent stock shortages and deterioration in the quality of patient care. A good example of this aspect can be viewed in the needs estimation process when there is accurate, well-written and regularly updated epidemiological accounts and information on the use of the product and purchases might become more accurate, efficient and timely.