Gartner issues 2020 Healthcare Supply Chain Top 25 rankings

Gartner, Inc. recently released its 12th annual Gartner Healthcare Supply Chain Top 25 ranking, which recognizes companies across the healthcare value chain that advance healthcare by improving patient outcomes and controlling costs.

“2020 has proved to be a challenging year for healthcare and life sciences supply chains with the COVID-19 pandemic stressing many networks to their breaking point,” said Stephen Meyer, senior director analyst with the Gartner Supply Chain practice. “All supply chains had to make significant changes to the way they worked, both tactically and strategically.”

For the second year in a row, Johnson & Johnson (J&J) takes the top spot, scoring the highest overall peer and Gartner opinion. CVS Health, Cleveland, McKesson and Banner Health complete the Top 5. Four new organizations joined the ranking: Baylor Scott & White Health, Johns Hopkins Health System, Indiana University and Biogen.

“J&J set itself apart in its approach to supply chain innovation,” Meyer said. “While other supply chains made notable strides in individual projects and initiatives, J&J stood out in its commitment to finding novel supply chain solutions to the challenges of modern healthcare.”

In its third year, the Healthcare Supply Chain Top 25 Masters recognized sustained supply chain leadership in healthcare. The criteria were the same as in Gartner’s Global Supply Chain Top 25 – a top 5 composite score in any seven of the last 10 years. The Masters category is not a permanent appointment. Companies must requalify every year and continue to innovate.

“As with last year, Mayo Clinic, Intermountain Health Care and Cardinal Health defended their standing as Masters – a remarkable achievement for each of them. Even in this challenging year, they continued to demonstrate supply chain excellence, agility and innovation,” Meyer said.

Glenn Richey, Harbert Eminent Scholar and Chair of the Department of Supply Chain Management at Auburn University’s Harbert College of Business, told SCMR that Pfizer and one of their manufacturing partners, BioNTech, are among a handful of companies in advanced stages of testing their vaccine.

“These two companies alone are contractually committed to supplying over 450 million doses to U.S. and foreign governments once they have completed trials showing the vaccine to be safe and effective,” he said. “High volume shipments of millions of doses will trim down to deliveries of 100 or less by the time they reach your local provider. So, to be clear, it’s a whole new ball game.”