When I made the administrator aware of this, they were able to make changes that resulted in a dollar savings of $6 per treatment. The inventory system the facility implemented, My Supply Tech, costs under $1 per treatment so it paid for itself many times over just by making this one change.
In order to control inventory, a facility will want to seriously consider moving away from a manual system to an electronic program. While the solution may cost money to implement, the return can be many times the investment as was the case with the example I presented in the previous paragraph.
It is understandable that administrators and owners wince when additional funds are asked to aide in the inventory management process. I encourage people to look at inventory management as an investment rather than an expense. A good investment should provide a reasonable return; my experience has been that a good electronic inventory system can provide a significant positive return on investment.
Phillip Morrill is the VP of Operations for My Supply Tech a dialysis specific inventory management system. They provide inventory management and consulting services. He welcomes your comments at phil@mysupplytech.net or visit their website at www.mysupplytech.com.
