Kanban Systems in Sterile Storage

Dustin Patterson | Regional Sales Manager, LogiQuip LLC.

The most common method is the traditional Two-Bin System where two bins are placed on a shelf, one in front of the other, and filled with supplies. When the front bin is emptied, it is placed on the top shelf of the rack, providing the visual cue that supplies need to be ordered.

Kanban Cards are placed in the bin once the stock reaches the reorder level to alert the Inventory Coordinator that more supplies are needed.

Using  Dividers  to  create  columns  in  Fine  Mesh  Basket Shelving, placing Kanban Flippers in the middle of each column to create two “bins”, allows you to create a more efficient Two-Bin System. Supplies are stored behind and in front of the Kanban Flipper. When the supplies in front of the Flipper are used, the Flipper is pulled down to access the supplies behind it, showing a “Reorder” tag to trigger an order.

Kanban Systems in Sterile Storage use triggers to provide visual cues that additional supplies need to be ordered. Leveraging Kanban Systems in your Sterile Storage Room supports FIFO (first in, first out—an essential tenet for surgery supplies), saves time on restocking, and saves on labor costs.

There are several Kanban methods that can be implemented to drive efficiency: including the Two-Bin Systems, Kanban Cards, and  Fine  Mesh  Basket  Shelving  with  Dividers  and  Kanban Flippers.

1. The most common method is the traditional Two-Bin System where two bins are placed on a shelf, one in front of the other, and filled with supplies. When the front bin is emptied, it is placed on the top shelf of the rack, providing the visual cue that supplies need to be ordered.
2. Kanban Cards are placed in the bin once the stock reaches the reorder level to alert the Inventory Coordinator that more supplies are needed.
3. Using  Dividers  to  create  columns  in  Fine  Mesh  Basket Shelving, placing Kanban Flippers in the middle of each column to create two “bins”, allows you to create a more efficient Two-Bin System. Supplies are stored behind and in front of the Kanban Flipper. When the supplies in front of the Flipper are used, the Flipper is pulled down to access the supplies behind it, showing a “Reorder” tag to trigger an order.

Regardless of the method, implementing a Kanban can help your department  streamline  your  inventory  levels  and  reordering process for better inventory accuracy. Better inventory accuracy will help you have non-expired, sufficient inventory levels for your cases.

Dustin  Patterson  is  currently  the  Mid-West Regional Sales Manager with Logiquip Healthcare Storage  Solutions,  a  leading  provider  of  high- quality,  future  focused  storage  systems  designed exclusively for use in the healthcare environment. Logiquip is based out of Kalamazoo, MI and has served healthcare organizations across the US for 30 years. Dustin brings over 12 years of experience in space planning and healthcare storage. He has acted on behalf of LogiQuip as the vendor liaison to the   AHRMM   Wisconsin   Chapter,   a   leading membership  group  for  healthcare  supply  chain professionals. Working closely with many hospitals and surgery centers, Dustin has developed tailored solutions  using  a  mix  of  best  practices,  Lean principles, and industry-leading storage equipment. He has also worked with many Sterile Processing Departments to maximize storage spaces, balancing trade-offs  between  high-capacity  storage  layouts and workflow efficiencies.