COVID-19 has disrupted the world, and it’s had a significant effect on the medical device and diagnostics industry. The pandemic upended routines and forced many facilities to shift their focus and begin manufacturing critical PPE (personal protective equipment) and other life-saving devices. Supply chains worldwide experienced massive confusion as some manufacturers switched to 24/7 production, others experienced extreme slowdowns, and others closed their doors either temporarily or for good.

ut medical device manufacturers face interruptions from multiple sources every day— changing customer demands, market shifts, increasing regulatory pressures, new technologies, mergers and acquisitions, and more. Any change in the status quo poses a risk to the delicate balance of the manufacturing process and puts a company’s profitability at risk.
Innovation is the lifeblood of any industry, and especially the medical device industry. Innovation thrives on collaboration, and it’s taken a hit during COVID-19 because more teams are working from home. And innovation can also fall behind during a disruption. When R&D labs have to spend time on crisis management, there’s simply less time to create.

Medical device and diagnostic manufacturers can nurture innovation during even the most turbulent time by designing their operations to be more agile. They can adopt technology solutions that work in a cloud-based environment so data and information can be accessed anywhere, at any time, and through most devices.