Amy Wesley | Intelli-Flip™ Category Sales Manager, LogiQuip®

In January, we began looking at less traditional ways to optimize inventory management to reduce costs and increase productivity, employee morale, and patient satisfaction.  Last month, we dove headlong into manual ordering processes.  This month, we are continuing the efficiency conversation with a look at standardizing processes.  

It is common for one facility to have multiple ways of managing supply inventory, leading to inefficiency in the ordering process (see January’s post for more information).  One of the drivers of this is “Institutional Knowledge”.

“Institutional knowledge” is the information that one or a few employees know about your company’s or department’s operations that is not documented or shared.  Meaning this knowledge is lost when the few people who possess it go on vacation, move into another role, or leave the facility, leaving the remaining staff scrambling.  

You can combat this by first identifying where there is “institutional knowledge” (in this instance, all the diverse ways that supply inventory is being managed).  Work with the knowledge holders to understand their workflow and why they do it the way they do.  Bringing all the knowledge holders together to map this out and determine the best processes moving forward will not only help to create a more efficient effort, but this team will also be more invested in making sure these changes stick for long term results. 

It is incredibly easy to fall into these situations, but moving your facility to standardized inventory management processes that are documented, communicated, implemented, and maintained creates efficiency across your entire facility, reduces employee frustration, and allows you to move an employee to other work requirements with ease.    

Stay tuned for next month as we continue our Efficiency conversation by looking at tips for right sizing your PAR levels.

Amy Wesley is the Services and Intelli-Flip™ Category Sales Manager with LogiQuip® Healthcare Storage Solutions in Kalamazoo, MI which has exclusively served the healthcare industry for over 30 years. With more than 34 years of experience in healthcare, Amy is a seasoned professional with a strong background in sterile processing, procurement, surgical services, and supply chain management.  She is passionate about process improvement and workflow redesign, particularly in the supply chain space.

For all your supply chain operations questions, you can contact Amy at [email protected] or visit the LogiQuip® team at logiquip.com