Distributors are a key supply chain link, connecting medical supplies from manufacturer assembly lines to providers and patients. For distributor sales reps, the services provided by your company — and you personally — ensure that the value to your customers extends far beyond the product itself.

In this course, you’ll learn how distributors add value to the supply chain. We’ll examine the functions distributors perform and how they run the different parts of their business. Importantly, we’ll find out how distributors make money and what factors impact profitability. In addition, we’ll cover the major types of distributors and delve into manufacturer-distributor relationships.

• Basic distribution functions and how distributors operate
• The steps a distributor typically follows in processing an order
• The two sides of the distribution business
• How to calculate gross margin
• The distributor sales organization
• Types of competition for the healthcare distributor
• Manufacturers’ distribution strategies, and the distributor-manufacturer relationship.
• Medical product distributors’ value to the supply chain