4. Don’t Assume Anything When it Comes to Freight: This is an area that must be managed effectively or conflict may occur upon receipt of the final bill. Do not take anything for granted and think about these important questions when determining which company will best serve you.
a. When possible, choose products from the same manufacturer in order to cut your out of pocket freight cost. Instead of ordering wood stairs from Hausmann and treatment plinths from Clinton, order all wood products from the same manufacturer. They can all ship on one truck and even if the per item price is a little higher; you will save money in the long run by using this technique. A seasoned distributor will know this and advise you properly.
b. If you use an internet company or distributor that will not be on site, determine in advance what happens when the Semi truck shows up with your new traction package. If you are paying for inside delivery, understand the rate can be more than what it actually costs to ship the item, thus doubling or tripling your delivery cost per item.
c. Some frugal clinicians believe dividing an order among several vendors will save money. Economies of scale work against using multiple vendors especially if several vendors will be on site.
5. Before Accepting A Final Bid, Make Sure Your List is Complete: Opening a new physical therapy business clinic is the same as building a new home or office building. Change orders are expensive. Don’t forget the step stool or the gel warmer and make sure everything you want is in the final bid package. To add it later usually comes without price comparison and is a potential profit center for the distributor.
6. Relying on Product Operation Manuals and Previous Experience to Get The Most Out of Your New Equipment: The age of technology is upon us and smart clinicians want to get the most out of the equipment they have invested in. When you purchase equipment from internet sites and low bidders, it is easy to forget about the very important product in-service required by many liability insurance carriers and Health Maintenance Organizations. Modern electronic physical therapy equipment is designed with time saving features that may not be intuitive and do not get used because no one knows they exist. Ask for an initial onsite in-service and inquire about future product training as you add staff or new employees join your team.There is no reason that opening your first or thirtieth new clinic cannot be a professional and pleasant process. At Advantage Medical, we have found this to be the case because we take extra steps to anticipate and avoid these costly mistakes. Please give us a call if you are looking for a partner with solutions to assist with your next capital equipment purchase.
