From Implementation to Impact: The Merit Medical Story
INDUSTRY
HealthSOLUTION
Connected Planning & FulfillmentOFFERING
APS ImplementationTECHNOLOGY
Blue YonderMerit Medical needed its digital transformation to stick
Founded in 1987, Merit Medical Systems is a global manufacturer and marketer of disposable medical devices, serving hospitals and care centers around the world.
With over 7,100 employees, a deep catalog of clinical solutions, and operations spanning more than 25 countries, the company wanted to modernize its supply chain to support growth and resilience in an increasingly complex and regulated healthcare environment.
As global demand increased and product lines expanded, Merit Medical's supply chain had become increasingly complex. Core supply chain functions were process-driven and heavily reliant on legacy systems and fragmented workflows.
Luckily, their leadership team recognized that technology alone wouldn’t suffice—a lasting transformation would require aligned people, optimized processes, and company-wide cultural adoption.
Implementing technology is not the same as adoption
Despite their investment in Blue Yonder’s advanced planning solutions, Merit Medical knew that technology implementation alone would not lead to adoption. So our goal was to ensure trust in the system, enable planners, and drive true operational change across the enterprise.
In partnership with Spinnaker SCA and Blue Yonder, Merit Medical embarked on a full-scale transformation of its supply chain planning capabilities, anchored in change management, collaboration, and a Center of Excellence (CoE) operating model.
Related: You can listen to an on-demand webinar with Merit Medical, Blue Yonder & Spinnaker SCA discussing this effort.
- 01 Clear alignment
- 02 Early buy-in
- 03 Smart governance
- 04 Strategic partnership
- 05 Tailored rollout
- 06 Sustained success
Communicating is caring
The Merit Medical team prioritized intentional and transparent communications from day one. This looked like daily standups, weekly emails, and executive briefings.
This steady drumbeat of communication built trust, kept teams aligned, and helped maintain momentum throughout the project.
Real data, real excitement
At the first opportunity, we uploaded actual Merit Medical data into the Blue Yonder application. By doing this early in the process, users got a tangible preview of what was coming.
It wasn’t just theoretical—it was real. And that visibility turned curiosity into confidence.
CoE-led with focus and speed
A CoE was formed to guide the digital transformation. Everyone involved had clear roles, decision-making authority, and a long-term mindset. It became the nerve center for the implementation effort as well as post go-live day-to-day management.
"Our people are still hungry for knowledge—not just from a training standpoint. They want to know how they can use the system better." —Joshua Groll, Director of Supply Chain Excellence at Merit Medical
Build momentum
Localized playbooks
Support that didn't stop at launch
Going live with Blue Yonder Demand, Demand 360, and Enterprise Supply Planning was just the beginning.
Ongoing touchpoints, active feedback loops, and planner empowerment ensured adoption was high and performance continued to improve long after the initial rollout.
A new supply chain from the inside out—one insight, one planner, and one learning loop at a time
- 4% fill rate improvement on day one of ESP go-live
- 25% increase in Entitled Customer Request Date (eCRD) performance with Order Promiser
- Roughly 45% forecast accuracy improvement since initial demand planning launch
- Significant trust and confidence gains due to enhanced data visibility and cleansing
- 45% improvement to preferred vendor status attributed to better fulfillment and predictability
- Hundreds of millions in projected financial upside, validated through diagnostic analysis
- Reduced reliance on expedited shipping and lower risk of product expiry anticipated in coming quarters