Strengthening our commitment to Commercial, Operational, and Relationship Excellence (C.O.R.E.)

Q: Let’s dive right in. What is C.O.R.E. and what inspired its development at Cencora?

Jenny: The inspiration for C.O.R.E. came from us asking our customers for feedback and listening intentionally. What we heard is that regardless of size, location, or services our customers are experiencing similar obstacles in their day-to-day interactions and workflows. The idea behind C.O.R.E. is to provide ways of identifying those obstacles, and then enabling creative opportunities to grow and overcome them together. It’s a focused investment in the areas that impact patient care the most. It’s a collection of strategic projects that span across our organization focused on four key areas:

• Improving visibility into supply chain performance for more informed planning and more consistent product access and availability
• Processing contracts and pricing updates faster with more accuracy, and reduced credit and rebills to make transactions smoother and less disruptive
• Making it easier to access, interpret, and act on data when resolving a service issue or setting up a new account
• Enhancing service experiences that leverage feedback to increase responsiveness and accuracy while making sure every interaction feels intentional and connected.

But it’s more than a set of projects or a commitment to innovation. C.O.R.E. is planting the seeds of change. It represents a shift in mindset and a new way of collaborating, enabling Cencora and our customers to not only respond to current challenges but also be proactive in shaping what lies ahead.

Q: You mentioned a commitment to innovation; how does C.O.R.E. foster innovation within Cencora?

Jenny: The voices of our customers and partners is what powers C.O.R.E., with collaboration being the cornerstone. We approach innovation through a customer-focused and enterprise-minded lens which allows us to take advantage of diverse perspectives. Instead of solving for one area, one group, or one customer type, we’re able to scale through the power of multiplication, solving for similar problems in a common way that helps to empower how we bring value to the pharmaceutical supply chain.

Q: What benefits can customers expect from C.O.R.E?

Jenny: To put it simply, C.O.R.E.’s primary goal is to deliver improved experiences by removing common roadblocks that can hinder patient care. Right now, we’re involved with more than 25 projects within C.O.R.E. that exemplify our commitment to innovation and efficiency. Three quick examples include:

• Enhancing pricing updates, which is focused on improving our processing power to create quicker and more accurate catalog pricing updates to enable visibility of the right product, at the right price, at the right time. We’re also establishing a pricing call service to reduce backlog days and provide near real-time pricing information.
• Implementing onboarding process improvements to reduce the time it takes to onboard a new customer or new ship-to-locations so customers can begin ordering the life-saving products they need sooner.
• Improving and optimizing communication through controlled surveys to enhance the level of information we have about our customers’ unique needs, who they are, and what they do. The more we know about customer roles and experiences, the better we can be about getting them the information they need quicker and in the way they prefer to receive it.

Q:  With regard to those C.O.R.E. projects you mentioned and those that follow, how will Cencora measure their success?

Jenny: On a larger scale, C.O.R.E. is our long-term commitment to the future of the pharmaceutical supply chain. With that in mind, consistent lines of communication and intentional listening to customer and partner feedback is the foundation of success. That’s why we’re developing an “always on” listening architecture that will enable us to keep building on what’s working and stay ahead of what’s coming next.

At a micro-level, we’re measuring each project within C.O.R.E. through specific key performance indicators,  internal team member surveys, and stakeholder analysis. Once a C.O.R.E. project achieves these metrics, it can then “graduate” out of C.O.R.E. This approach makes sure we remain focused on delivering tangible results and continuously improving our operations based on real-world experiences.

 C.O.R.E. is planting the seeds of change in healthcare – and more growth is on the way, with the goal is to keep building on what’s working and stay ahead of what’s coming next. You can expect to see updates on C.O.R.E. through various channels, including our website, social media platforms, and newsletters.

Learn more and keep up with our latest developments.

At Cencora, our commitment to excellence and shared success is unwavering. We believe that C.O.R.E. will not only enhance our operations but also empower our customers and partners to thrive in an increasingly complex healthcare landscape. Together, we are shaping the future of healthcare.