Mass General Brigham Supply Chain Management manages inventory and ensures that organizations have the supplies and products they need.
Supply management processes keep costs stable and utilize resources effectively to increase profits and efficiency. Supply management may be influenced by:
- Product preference
- Pricing constraints
- Regulatory requirements
- Governmental agency reimbursement policies
- Breakdowns within the supply chain
- Patient needs
Periodic Automatic Replacement (PAR) levels are the optimal amount of inventory needed to meet customer demand and provide a cushion (safety stock) in case of unexpected demand or delay in delivery. PAR levels are important because:
- Excess inventory can tie up money that may be better used elsewhere.
- Overstocked perishable supplies can cause waste and affect profits.
- Overstocks can result in:
- Expired products, a regulatory and quality/safety risk for practices.
- Obsolete products, which can influence profits.
- Lack of inventory can affect patient care and/or create a medical emergency.
- Assign a specific role/employee to track PAR levels.
- Set PAR levels for each inventory item by forecasting customer demand.
- Bring an item to the PAR level using cycle counting (an inventory procedure where a limited area of inventory in a specific location is audited and counted on a specified day).
- Maintain PAR levels by tracking the minimum quantity of an item stored, and which items are automatically reordered.
- Use the following checklist to forecast demand and to set, implement, and maintain PAR levels.
- Manually count the items in stock.
- Track the number of supplies used over a certain period.
- Create a timeline to understand how many days specific orders take to arrive.
- Track expiration dates.
- Consider implementing a secondary bin option (keeping only PAR levels on hand and a small reserve in another area). Order the next batch once the first bin is empty.
- Follow First In, First Out (FIFO) rules to:
- Reduce number of expired medical products and associated costs.
- Reduce costs associated with expired medical products.
- Implement a signal system to notify the manager/staff to order more supplies.
- Supply Management Communication – ticket system now available for non-urgent supply requests
- MGH BioMed Engineering Clinical Site Map – various devices and user manuals
- A–Z Guide of Goods and Services – Mass General Brigham contracted goods and services
- Corporate Credit Card Program – facilitates transactions through the appropriate Mass General Brigham purchasing process; educates cardholders on the benefits and potential uses of corporate cards
- eBuy+ Marketplace – a one-stop shop with items from punch-out suppliers (e.g., Staples, Fisher Scientific) and all items from the PeopleSoft item file
- eBuy+ Online Training – required before you can access the eBuy+ system; you may complete online training or attend classroom training
- eBuy+ Training Documents
- eCheck Training Documents
- Expenses Training Documents
- Note: In addition to training, you must also complete an online eBuy+ Requester Access Form to receive access.
- How to Return Goods – first, complete the Mass General Brigham External Shipping Paper, Repair and Return Authorization Form
- My Supply Chain Intranet
- PeopleSoft Access & Information – the primary platform for performing financials and HR transactions; most common financial and supply chain applications are eBuy+, eCheck, and eXpenses
- Supplier Diversity Program – aims to achieve sustainable relationships while encouraging enhanced competition
- Supply Chain Training and Application Support
- New Process for Approval and Purchase of Items Requiring High-Level Disinfection or Sterilization
- The Allied Group Virtual Office Registration Process – the Allied Group is a distributor of printed materials (posters, flyers, etc.)
- The Allied Group Virtual Office Quick Start
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