Eliminating time-consuming manual supply chain tasks enables clinicians to spend more time treating patients, according to Inventory Optimization Solutions.
The company shared the following five tips for improving your ASC's supply chain.
1. Make ordering more efficient. Efficient, automated procurement processes help staff members balance supply ordering with other important tasks, such as patient care and management duties. Build an enterprise formulary, instruct clinicians to standardize and use tools such as barcode scanners.
2. Improve order communication with vendors. Implement a materials management system that enables order submission with the simple push of a button, eliminating the need to log onto websites, call customer support or fax documents.
3. Build a stronger enterprise infrastructure. Supply chain managers responsible for enterprise structure should use reporting tools to capture analytics for the corporate entity as well as individual centers. In addition to improving understanding of inventory and usage, this comprehensive view helps lower costs by facilitating consolidation and standardization.
4. Improve your case costing abilities. Replace manual, handwritten preference cards with an electronic preference card system for standardization, quality improvement, fewer errors and reduced costs. By making it easier to see supply consumption, this strategy will allow comparison of procedure costs between surgeons or facilities.
5. Use an automated three-way price match. Three-way matching between purchase orders, invoices and contract price helps eliminate overpayments and ensure the right price.