How 1A Medizintechnik and SHOPMACHER digitize the procurement of emergency equipment for emergency services

Many rescue stations still work very analogously today. In order to reorder products, the paramedics often walk through their warehouses themselves with pen and paper and note what is missing. An office worker then types the note, the supervisor acknowledges it and the order is sent to the wholesaler by fax or telephone.

In order to simplify this time-consuming process, the e-commerce agency SHOPMACHER, together with the wholesaler for emergency medicine, 1A Medizintechnik, implemented a digital procurement solution in the form of a Progressive Web App (PWA). Because it can also be used if there is no internet connection in the warehouse.

The app works as follows: The SHOPMACHER team has generated QR codes for all items available in the online shop of 1A Medizintechnik – from the defibrillator to work clothing – which can be attached to the storage shelves. If stocks are running low, the rescue guards only have to scan the relevant QR codes via the app and enter the required quantities. As soon as WLAN is available, the app connects to the wholesaler’s shop, creates a shopping list and sends a release request to the supervisor. The customer can then place the order with a click of the mouse.

“Anyone who wants to be successful in digital B2B trade must look from the user’s point of view and make procurement easier for their customers,” explains SHOPMACHER Managing Director André Roitzsch. Jens Grotstabel, Head of Marketing responsible for the online shop of the Bocholt-based family company, expects competitive advantages from the good customer experience of the app. “Currently, 1A Medizintechnik is the only wholesaler in the field of emergency medicine that offers such a procurement feature,” he says. “Our app saves the rescuers work and reduces errors. No rescue station would do without this convenience just to save a few cents on gauze.”