Madhusudhan Pillai      

Contracts Director, Systems and Measurements, Temple Health  

Joined AHRMM in 2006

Madhusudhan Pillai, or Madhu for short, can be described as “numbers” guy with a creative bent. As the Corporate Supply Chain Director for Systems and Measurements, he oversees and manages the direction of the Temple University Health System (TUHS or Temple Health) supply chain information systems, operations, and informatics functions. His role is to assure organizational goals related to cost management, quality assurance, process efficiency, and customer service are achieved through the use of Technology, information, and human resources.

From the title, his job would appear to be more about absolutes, but in reality, it has much to do with nuance. “My job involves bringing together stakeholders from various areas of supply chain, and creating a seamless process and information flow to achieve efficiencies.” A critical aspect of doing this involves getting stakeholder buy-in to the changes that would occur. It requires good understanding of the specific requirements of the supply chain and stake holders, and translating it into meaningful adoption of technology and process to achieve the desired goal. Vendors, contracting, purchasing, receiving, distribution, revenue, accounting and end users/customers all have different requirements; Madhu’s job is to find the sweet spot in the data, technology, and process solutions that deliver for all.  He collaborates with key members of the organization and the management team to develop strategies for cost reduction, efficiency, and customer service in supply chain. So while he has to have highly refined and very specific technical knowledge, he also has be a good salesperson…and to be a good sales person, you have to be a good listener.

Madhu’s parents were a predominant influence in shaping his thinking and his values, and this has served him well in all aspects of life, including his profession. When things threaten to overwhelm him at work, he’s learned to break it down, compartmentalize, and solve each piece separately until it’s easier to assign or address. He asks for input, listens to ideas, and makes decisions based on collective feedback. He’s also learned that people respond well to this approach.

The “people” aspect is actually what Madhu enjoys most about his work. He enjoys managing his team and collaborating with colleagues and external vendor partners to understand the technical and functional aspects of their individual requirements. “In my position as Director for Systems and Measurements I am able to investigate and deliver solutions to the most pressing requirements of supply chain in the areas of cost reduction, operational efficiency, and customer service.  Managing the supply chain data provides me access to the analytical pulse of the issue, and oversight of the IT system blueprint provides me the technological tools I can use to resolve it. It is satisfying to see the positive result of the work we put in, and the rapid changes in the IT landscape provide opportunities every day to make a positive change. It’s incredibly rewarding to deliver what individual groups want and still honor the big picture.”

This also has its challenges. Temple Health is a multi-hospital academic health system. All entities have their own requirements, and their own culture and mindset. “Whenever change is suggested we encounter fear of losing control over process or fear of having to learn something new.” Despite those obstacles, Madhu and his team have successfully standardized the ERP system throughout the Temple Health system and are making inroads on other major system-wide projects to make the supply chain process more efficient with the help of technology, people and process supported by robust analytics and key performance indicators.

Madhu found his way to AHRMM through a local AHRMM conference. He had worked in supply chain since 1994, starting his career in the petrochemical industry managing global supplies of petrochemical products. When he joined Temple health in 2006 as a manager of systems and measurement, he was actively seeking information specific to the healthcare supply chain and wanting to become more involved with a professional network. A colleague suggested he attend a local chapter conference, and through that he became exposed to AHRMM at the national level. He became a member and attended AHRMM14 as a speaker, presenting ‘Strategic Solutions for Improving Operational Performance’.  Mary Beth Lang, who was an AHRMM board member at the time encouraged him to get more involved with AHRMM. He attained CMRP certification in 2014 as well. In 2016 he returned to AHRMM as a speaker and presented in two sessions, ‘Operationalizing Contracts to Support CQO’ and ‘Supply Chain Dashboard’. He also became active in AHRMM at the committee level that year, joining the AHRMM Annual Conference Educational Committee. As a committee member Madhu is involved with the selection and planning the educational sessions at the conference and moderating them during the conference. In 2017, Madhu expanded his worked with the AHRMM Education Committee to develop an eLearning foundation course, ‘The Process of Operationalizing Contracts to Support CQO ‘. The course is available as an educational resource through AHRMM.

“Every interaction I have had with an AHRMM attendee, committee member, and presenter has helped me personally and professionally in some way. My first public speaking opportunity in the United States at the AHRMM14 was instrumental in getting me more involved with AHRMM. I have made great friendships and connections through the AHRMM platform.” Madhu would like to get more involved in other projects and committees within AHRMM in the coming years, especially activity related to the GS1 standards and GUDID adoption.

In his daily work, Madhu relies on AHRMM for these key resources:

• Knowledge Center
• Supply Chain Strategies & Solutions articles
• Case studies
• White papers
•  Sustainability Roadmap PIMs
• AHRMM Learning UDI Community

“AHRMM’s knowledge center is an amazing tool. It provides a vast trove of information with regards to industry trends in terms of supply chain.” As far as educational resources go, Madhu has found value in AHRMM’s webinars, annual conference, online courses, and seminars. “AHRMM has been an excellent platform as a supply chain knowledge and information source. It has helped me connect with peers, share information, and helped me validate or amend my approach to supply chain solutions. Meeting peers within the healthcare landscape from across the nation through AHRMM provides an excellent opportunity to advance my knowledge and connections.” When asked to whittle his thoughts on AHRMM membership to an elevator speech, Madhu says, “AHRMM provides a unique platform to exchange knowledge and best practices with industry peers.”

Even though his job is fairly consuming, Madhu makes time for other creative pursuits. In his free time he enjoys painting, sketching, reading, trekking, and cooking. While his wife is reportedly an excellent cook, Madhu specializes in international cuisine and likes to introduce the family to new recipes. Some of his favorites include coconut shrimp, pineapple pastry, tandoori BBQ, Chinese stir-fry, pizza, lamb, and this past Thanksgiving he baked his first turkey!

In the painting and sketching realm, Madhu is actually quite a gifted artist. “It’s something I’ve done all my life. As a child I entered and won awards in painting and sketching competitions.” The principle from his school asked him to create his Christmas cards, and this encouraged him to keep dabbling in the arts. As an adult, friends have asked him to do portraits and paintings, which he does, but he does not pursue the arts commercially. “It’s just as a hobby!” Over the years he’s experimented in several different mediums – sculpting, chalk carving, charcoal, pastels, and watercolor. He’s working on refining his skill in painting with oils, which has been a challenge for him. But he likes the challenge!

Madhu is an avid reader, enjoying both fiction and non-fiction. He’s an “NPR junkie” and especially likes Ira Flato’s Science Fridays. He spent considerable time in childhood conducting experiments, building things, and combining his love of reading and drawing by producing a neighborhood newspaper. Now he channels that energy and passion into his two young boys, encouraging their creative pursuits. “It keeps things interesting, time flies, they’re being productive and constructive, and it’s always fun!” His personal motto is: “No task is hard if you have your heart and mind in it!” The legacy of successes Madhu is building at work and home proves that it is true.