Supreme Medical catches up

MOBILE, Ala. - Supreme Medical went live with a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system on May 1, putting the wholesale distributor on a more level playing field with its larger competitors, says Colton Mason.

“That was the missing piece, the only reason we were losing business,” said Mason, senior vice president.

Supreme Medical, which carries supplies for a variety of product categories, as well as DME, debuted the new system from MDS Distribution/The System House at the IMCO National Convention, April 28 to May 1.

One of the biggest benefits of the new system: real-time inventory and tracking, all integrated with FedEx, Mason says.

“We've been using a portal where providers have to log in to see anything and where there was always a little bit of a delay,” he said.

Now when Supreme Medical makes the sales pitch to providers to switch to them, technology is not an issue, Mason says.

“When you're trying to get new business, you don't want them to have to use a lesser technology,” he said.

The new system, along with Supreme Medical's stance of not competing with their provider customers, something that's becoming increasingly common in the supplies market, is a winning combo, Mason says.

“We're now on par with our competitors, but, we believe, a step above them, too,” he said.
Overall, it's shaping up to be a good 2019 for Supreme Medical—there's the new system, a new website and an increase in DME sales following Medicare's any willing provision going into effect on Jan. 1, Mason says.

“We've noticed an uptick in wheelchairs and beds and core bent metal, in general,” he said. “They don't want to carry the inventory on the books and they want it as quick as they can get it. We're that fulfillment mechanism for them.”