NOVEMBER 20238In My OpinionJorge Lopes, President / Head of Global Procurement,Olympus Surgical Technologies of AmericaByJorge Lopes is currently President of Olympus Surgical Technologies America (OSTA), a division of Olympus, the $7.5B global technology leader focused on enhancing people's lives through innovative solutions in the core business areas of Medical and Surgical Products, and Scientific and Industrial Solutions. Prior to joining Olympus in 2016, Jorge spent 26 years with Johnson & Johnson. While at J&J Jorge had roles of increasing responsibilities in Manufacturing Engineering, Operations and Quality. In his last assignment with J&J, he was the WW Director of Operations for the Power Tools Division.What are some of the major challenges and trends that have been impacting the Medical Equipment Manufacturing space lately?Even before COVID-19, our ability to compete on pricing, combined with the pressure to reduce pricing, has created an interesting dynamic because right now the climate is one in which major medical device manufacturers are increasingly opting to outsource manufacturing. We could follow this trend, but there is a challenge in outsourcing when you are also committed to protecting proprietary processes. Olympus has a long history of innovation, and we know the value there and the importance of protecting it. So, staying competitive without outsourcing is critical, while also innovating in what we are delivering, in terms of technologies that are making surgeries and other medical procedures faster, easier and more cost effective. These design innovations are exciting, but also more demanding of the capabilities of the manufacturer. We are developing the skill sets of the engineers, stretching our competencies in creative ways within the footprint. What keeps you up at night when it comes to some of the major predicaments in the Medical Equipment Manufacturing space? Short term, we've been focused on understanding the impact COVID-19 continues having on the numerous small businesses we work with, such as materials or component suppliers. We've been spending more time understanding our suppliers' business struggles and the impact of trends in demand, understanding what impact a slow-down from Olympus would have on them. With the vaccination rates being what they are and the cases coming down, we are cautiously optimistic and feel we can take a breath. Long term I am focused on the availability of resources. We work closely with our business units and marketing partners to understand the current and future portfolio needs so we can be sure to have the talent, skills and processes in place. As big as this industry is we still struggle to find qualified engineers. As technology is constantly evolving it will put a bigger burden on the skill set. We're working on products that are so innovative that there may not be a lot of experience working with the materials or processes in question. Environmental factors are another major consideration in our process as well and our products. Sterilization alternatives for the sterile packaging for many of our products, given the attention to environmental concerns around ethylene oxide (EtO), is a perfect example.Can you tell us about the latest project that you have been working on and what are some of the technological and process elements that you leveraged to make the project successful?We are evaluating digital technologies, in the smart-factory sense, in our traditional manufacturing as well as our repair business. We're very excited LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY TO BOOST MEDICAL DEVICE MANUFACTURING
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