If you work in the medical device industry you will know that there are a huge variety of companies operating in this area. Some are large, market-dominating multinationals; others are established suppliers with a specialist product range; some are struggling but passionate start-ups and others are well respected local distributors. If you are looking to work in this industry, which kind of company should you apply to work in? Whilst each type has their benefits, after 4 years at LINC Medical Systems, I have seen some unique benefits of working for an Independent Medical Device Distributor.

1. Distributors can choose the best products. Sales people working in a large company have to sell whatever the R&D department produces, even if they don’t think it’s the best product for their customer’s needs. As a distributor, we get to choose the products that we sell. We know our market and we know our customer’s needs, so we will only sell those products we believe will best meet the needs of our customers.
2. Distributors can grow an innovative and diverse product range. Each year, LINC Medical attends MEDICA, a large trade fair in Dusseldorf, where over 2000 medical device companies exhibit their goods. We can choose new products to add to our portfolio and ensure that each time we visit a customer, we have a new solution to a problem they are facing.
3. Distributors are responsive to customer needs. Because our management team regularly meets with customers, we hear feedback about products and services directly from their mouths. That means we can change supplier or alter services to suit customer needs. Recently one of our product lines had issues with spare part availability and slow lead times. So we engaged another supplier and our new supplier offers quicker lead times, efficient product support and better prices. All of these have increased customer satisfaction.
4. Distributors listen to their sales team. LINC employs highly skilled staff from a clinical, technical or scientific background. When our staff feedback to us we can rapidly take on board their comments and adjust our strategy accordingly. Independent distributors do not have multiple levels of bureaucracy to work through before changes are decided and implemented.
5. Distributors can provide variety for their team members. Being a medium-sized company means that our team members are not pigeon-holed into doing the same repetitive tasks but are given the opportunity to take on a wider range of responsibilities and try new areas of work. I started out with LINC as a Clinical Support Scientist, then became a Product Specialist and have now become the Sales and Marketing Manager for medical devices. This opportunity to change and also take on additional responsibilities provides an engaging variety in the working lives our team members.

If you are currently looking for work or in a change in position, don’t rule out working for a medical device distributor. You might be surprised at the benefits.