3 Ways to Improve Medical Supply Ordering

Looking closer at medical supply ordering practices is vital for medical clinics interested in lowering operating costs. Technology can automate medical supply management, eliminating inefficient practices affecting your bottom line. Through technological advances, supply chain management can be better handled for more efficient and effective medical supply ordering that saves you money over time. Our medical transport logistics experts offer the following recommendations for an improved ordering process:

Use automated assessment of medical supplies

Assessment is an integral part of knowing the supplies you have on hand and what you need for patient care. Unfortunately, this process is often done manually with little organization. It usually involves staff walking through the facility with a pen and paper to take a visual inventory of available supplies or facility managers copying staff-written needs off a whiteboard in the backroom. It has no apparent connection to knowing what you need, the quantity required, and where to get it.

Medical supply management technologies are available to automate the process, like scanners and barcoding. They know precisely what you need, how many you should have on hand, how many you need at any given time, and exactly where to get them. These automation technologies save time, boost ordering accuracy, and eliminate ordering errors.

Use consolidated medical supply procurement

Procurement represents how you get the office and medical supplies you identify and track through assessment. Instead of logging in to numerous websites or calling different vendors, technology streamlines and automates your process. This involves a singular online portal for ordering office, lab, surgical, and medical supplies. Though there may be a couple of things that cannot be procured through the portal, around 90% of what you need should come from this singular online portal.

This approach allows you to purchase items from a single source in bulk, reducing per-item costs. It also reduces the costs of packaging, shipping, and delivery. In addition, it allows you to set rules for purchases and effectively manage your procurement to payment process. For example, alerts and stop orders can be set for supplies outside of your pre-approved formulary or those that exceed a pre-specified dollar amount.

Use online medical supply receiving management

Receiving involves ensuring you were delivered the right supplies in the correct quantity at an accurate cost. Many facilities manually check packing slips against what they find in their delivery. Others use technology to automate the process, like getting order, shipping, and delivery alerts and confirmations through text or email when you order online from retailers like Walmart or Amazon.

This approach allows you to confirm and validate receiving of your orders. It also provides you with an electronic record of every transaction. You can forward order information and payment approval to Accounting with the click of a button instead of sending it off manually through the mail. This streamlines the receiving process and saves time for more essential responsibilities.

Consider these ways to optimize your medical supply ordering process. Contact us today for medical transport logistics assistance. We are here for you!