Service for a medical technology unit is one of the vital success factors for long-term customer relations in the medical technology sector. This result corresponds to studies published by Sepctaris and J&M Management Consulting as well as kon.med’s own industry experience.
Commentary: Many products in the German health economy are becoming more and more exchangeable. This has been true for a long time in the area of consumables and articles of daily use in regards to their function and usage. But in the area of large unit medical technology noticeable developments can also be discerned, which are marked by an influx of new and cheap suppliers (mainly from Asia). They make life difficult for the main suppliers in Germany by offering high quality and comparatively innovative technology, similar to what has been observable in the automotive sector. A study in regards to large diagnostic units which was conducted by kon.med, showed that especially for high-price units from Germany and other European countries, users demand on-site service by the manufacturers. This means that for manufacturers the service element is increasingly becoming one of the most important distinguishing features of the product. The question which the manufacturers have to ask themselves is how to market their valuable service so that users understand it to be a USP.