“We believe it is the ideal model, which is what Amazon does for its small suppliers. For us, they are small laboratories that do not have to send to the 35 IMSS warehouses, which makes it much more expensive to send small quantities, and this means that they cannot participate in consolidated purchases. So, a single delivery, in a single warehouse, and then Birmex already distributes it, pooling what is from all the small warehouses,” he explained.
He added that the health sector has worked a lot on this model, which they hope will be successful to improve the supply of medicines in the country, which currently remains at 97.5% in the IMSS. “The truth is that we are convinced of the system,” he stressed.
“Amazon is the logistics expert, that’s how it does it with its small suppliers, and we believe that that is the way to do it,”
Humberto Pedrero, head of the IMSS Results Unit
However, Enrique Martínez considers that the main obstacle to this model is repeating Birmex as a distributor, since its logistics capabilities are insufficient both in infrastructure and specialized personnel.
This has meant, he explains, delays in the delivery of supplies to health institutions, rejection of shipments to suppliers and discretion in resolving deliveries.
Enrique Martínez mentions that it is necessary to review this model and reinforce it with the collaboration of the private sector experts in logistics. “Birmex’s deficiencies continue to lead to shortages among institutions and could be the main obstacle for President Sheinbaum’s health plan,” he warns.
The Amazon model
In that sense, Amazon has distribution logistics that it has been perfecting. This is Amazon Freight, which is the process that is traced from the first to the last mile of the products until they reach their final recipient.
In the first mile, the manufacturer picks up their products, packages them to avoid damage in transit, and loads them onto trucks to hit the road; The middle mile begins when the shipment is picked up from your facility, warehouse, or center. This stage is usually the longest and is often supported by freight providers who specialize in transportation services within states or between regions.
While in the last mile stage, goods are sorted at a fulfillment facility and loaded onto delivery vehicles for shipment to the end customer. These last-mile vehicles, like Amazon delivery vans, follow specific routes to ensure speed and efficiency.
Unlike the other stages of the journey, where large quantities are moved together, last mile delivery breaks down your freight shipment into individual customer orders.
