Surviving and Thriving Through COVID-19
COVID-19 has applied a unique and consistent pressure on businesses over the past two years. During these unprecedented times, it’s been critical for businesses to respond to the rapid challenges with appropriate, actionable steps to succeed despite the uncertainty.
While there’s no magic fix to end the pandemic, there are company best practices Westminster Pharmaceuticals has established to anticipate and resolve challenges, pivot operations for the sake of our team’s and customers’ health, and continue serving our great customers while we all face this reality.
Here are the top five ways Westminster Pharmaceuticals has managed to survive and thrive through COVID-19:
Putting Health First
First and foremost, our team’s and customers’ health have always been our top priority. At the onset of the pandemic, Westminster Pharmaceuticals pivoted to use a hybrid in-office telecommunication technology approach. This immediate strategy has served us well when illness outbreaks occur, allowing us to continue operations through the cloud and maintain frequent team check-ins with support from Microsoft Teams and other communications software.
Strong, Frequent Communication
Relationships have always been the most important aspect of our business, and our strong, frequent communication has been the life force keeping these relationships intact despite the turbulent climate.
All of our clients know their dedicated sales rep by name and know how to reach them directly at any notice. We’re just a phone call or email away, and we respond quickly with the important information needed to ensure business continuity. We also send regular updates and timely notifications of any changes to our supply, pricing, or new product releases at least monthly.
While our virtual communication has been our leading form of communication throughout 2020 and 2021, we hope to spend more time face-to-face safely with clients through in-person visits and industry events in 2022.
Anticipating Supply Chain Issues
Some supply chain issues have been inevitable with the disruptions of the pandemic, but in order not to miss a beat, Westminster Pharmaceuticals has adjusted our timelines to work weeks ahead of our customer product requests to ensure ample inventory on hand when they are needed. We work closely with our partners to identify and resolve any challenges before the impact hits our customers, developing new ideas to avoid recurring issues.
Strengthening Through Strategic Partnerships
Westminster recognizes the strength that comes from working together, especially through hardships, so we’ve invested in strategic partnerships that maximize resilience through technology and streamlined operations.
In 2021, we partnered with R&S Solutions as our preferred third-party logistics provider to handle fulfillment and distribution of all WPRX products based on a long-standing reputation as an industry leader. Through this partnership, we’ve enhanced our robust supply chain and overall efficiency even through the unknowns of a pandemic.
Helping Our Local Communities
We know that sometimes, the best way to make an impact is to start at home. Our everyday operations support the ongoing access to high-quality, safe, and affordable pharmaceuticals across the country, but at the start of the pandemic, we decided to reflect on how we could best serve our immediate community.
Utilizing our established relationships, we were able to donate over 2,000 bottles of hand sanitizer to local criminal justice system offices in Tampa, FL to maintain a safe and healthy work environment for staff. This small gesture was just one way to show our support when our community needed it most and we continue to find ways to help.
A Future Beyond COVID-19
While we may not know when we can expect to say goodbye to the changes brought on by COVID-19, we can find peace in the strategies we’ve put in place to manage it.
By prioritizing health and relationships first, leaning on technology to enhance efficiency and communication, predicting and solving for challenges before they arise, and giving back in the ways we can, Westminster Pharmaceuticals has been able to both survive and thrive despite this unpredictable chapter, taking the lessons we’ve learned with us into a hopeful future beyond COVID-19. Let us know if you need more direct support as we work through the next phase of our worldwide pandemic together.