Getting the finished product to the customers: partnering up with medical supply stores

The medical supply store is your first point of contact if you need a (new) assistive device: It has a vast selection of mobility supports, practical aids for everyday activities, sports and leisure equipment. But how do these items get to the medical supply store? And how can a startup find commercial partners and establish its products effectively? REHACARE.com collaborated with Scewo AG and set out on a quest – for the perfect partnership.

Networking is an essential ingredient in this endeavor and a non-negotiable if you want to get your foot in the door as a business. Pre-COVID-19, the Messe Düsseldorf exhibition halls provided a perfect platform for this. REHACARE is an event that brought everyone together: users, manufacturers, and vendors. But the cancelled trade fairs didn’t just make life more difficult for assistive technology stakeholders. Contact and meeting restrictions also proved an immense problem for everyone. It temporarily put an end to product demonstrations, internal training programs, and meetings to brainstorm ideas for product improvements or brand-new products at onsite treatment facilities. "It [the coronavirus pandemic; editor’s note] makes targeted collaboration and meeting potential partners more difficult," agrees Hans-Peter Dahlmann, managing director of the Häussler medical supply store in Ulm, Germany.

Aside from making work more difficult for vendors, the pandemic also affected startups. Even Scewo AG, which has been turning the wheelchair market on its head thanks to its Scewo BRO, is feeling the impact: “Cancelled in-person trade fairs had a negative effect on our networking efforts. We strongly believe you must physically experience our BRO wheelchair, but this setting has made it much more difficult,” says Natalie Rotschi, Communications Manager at Scewo AG. "We tried to counteract the cancelled trade shows by launching alternatives such as roadshows or webinars. But this is far more time-consuming than 'just' attending a trade fair."

Social media platforms have become an important alternative to replace in-person exhibits on location. Luckily, medical supply stores are distribution partners that already conduct their own online research to always stay on top of the latest technology trends and to keep an eye on the market. "Of course, everyone has their favorites among the manufacturers with whom they have had great experiences in the past," says Felix Raab, orthopedic technician at the Sanitätshaus Raab, in our REHACARE Topic of the Month July article. Generally, this refers to established companies and manufacturers with whom you have already successfully worked in the past. "You know their products are user friendly and work well, the product gets great feedback and there is good communication with the manufacturer." However, the orthopedic technician from Frankfurt points out that "this is empirical knowledge you simply gain in the course of your job by always trying new things." Enter newcomers in the market, which – unlike large, well-known manufacturers – often bring exciting and innovative things to the table that the assistive technology market has not seen before.

"The innovative and unique product and the amazing, young and determined team of professionals won us over," Hans-Peter Dahlmann recalls the strong impression the Swiss startup Scewo BRO made on the medical supply store. Günther Knobloch, managing director of Georg Egger & Co. GmbH, pays the company a similar compliment: "The technologically sophisticated product and its strong unique selling proposition persuaded us to support the project from the beginning." His company specializes in assistive technology and product management and supplies the Austrian market with a variety of medical equipment, including the innovative power wheelchair from the neighboring country. "The Scewo BRO is an exceptional product that opens up unique possibilities for our qualified customers." The uniqueness of the BRO also captured the interest of Michael Hirsiger, owner of rundum ortho & reha AG. "The BRO simply stands out in the assistive technology market. Scewo caught my attention immediately, and I contacted the company." It’s something that happens a lot. Natalie Rotschi says, "We are fortunate to receive many inquiries and people always like our BRO. Many love the way it works and looks."

All three companies are qualified distribution partners of Scewo AG. The team from Switzerland has four partners in total, which ensure that interested parties can experience the BRO in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The catchment or trade areas were also a criterion in the partner choice: The goal of the Swiss team is to cover as many geographical markets as possible without the partners poaching each other’s turf. Apart from this strategy, there was another crucial factor: "When we choose our partners, we make sure we are on the same wavelength in terms of interpersonal complementarity and that we share a common vision," says the Scewo AG Communications Manager.

And what makes a good collaborative partner? "Trust, reliability, the ability to deliver, and a joint market cultivation strategy," Hans-Peter Dahlmann lists some of his benchmarks. Great support is also a key criterion for rundum ortho & reha AG owner Michael Hirsiger, though he believes an open-minded business relationship is equally important. Rotschi likewise appreciates open-mindedness in communication with business partners: "You must clearly define the needs and processes right from the start and be willing to connect and communicate with each other." Those are the hallmarks of a successful partnership.

Naturally, this also creates team synergy. "We were able to benefit tremendously from the industry and rehabilitation technology experience of our partners," Natalie Rotschi assesses the collaboration with the four companies that distribute the BRO. "Our field sales representatives interact one-on-one with our customers and witness first-hand their daily challenges and requirements. These insights can subsequently help improve the product and properly address customer needs and demands,” explains Günther Knobloch. Conversely, the distribution partners benefit from the startup’s marketing know-how. Ultimately, the successful collaboration also benefits the users who receive an even better assistive device that fosters their self-determination and promotes participation and mobility.