Improving efficiency through enhanced supply delivery and inventory management processes

As part of an overall effort at Kentucky-based Baptist Health to centralize supply chain activities, leaders looked at supply inventory systems and delivery methods to reduce costs, improve par optimization and enhance efficiency.

Specifically, Baptist Health Louisville, the system's largest hospital with 519 beds, had been using automated point-of-use cabinets to store and replenish supplies in nursing floor par location areas for more than 20 years. This system's current technological platform was approaching end of life within the next few years and required a substantial upgrade that would be costly and time consuming.

At the same time, Baptist Health supply chain leaders also looked at supply logistics for those facilities that utilize delivery in lowest unit of measure (LUM). Baptist Health was using custom palletization, but this process wasn't as efficient or cost effective as hoped.

In this article, you'll hear how Baptist Health Supply Chain leaders are addressing these challenges by:

• Implementing 2-bin inventory replenishment program for all supply rooms to confidently maintain accurate par levels while avoiding costly upgrades
• Employing enhanced LUM system in which totes arrive “put-away-ready” in supply rooms to save a minimum of one man hour a day