Cross-Functional Success in Healthcare Supply Chain

US healthcare facilities are struggling with fundamental problems in their supply rooms: Products are expiring on the shelves, recalled products are not identified and removed, unrealistic par levels cause over-buying – and the means of solving these problems is usually time-consuming, labor-intensive manual audits, an approach that is inherently inaccurate.

With SxanPro’s mobile application, LINK, and its patented UDI scanning technology, 3 hospitals in Colorado registered 60,000 items across three sites in just six days. Each scan of a UDI barcode registers the item and details vital product information, such as batch and lot numbers, expiration dates, and other significant data. The use of this technology led to the recovery of $539,515 in just 45 days.

Supply Chain: One inventory scan identified $401,000 worth of no-move supplies. This discovery pinpointed essential areas for improvement and potential removal from par locations, streamlining the supply chain process efficiently.

Finance: By moving $413,768 worth of supplies to sites where they were needed before expiration, the hospitals maximized resources and avoided wastage.

IT: Utilizing technology efficiently, UDI was matched with SMART ID. This strategic move facilitated the enhancement of the master data file, optimizing billing accuracy.

Value Analysis: SxanPro technology gave VA the data they needed to make the recommendations to remove unused items from pref cards. This data-driven approach improved resource utilization, reducing the cost per patient.

Risk: 1,112 expired and 369 recalled items were removed from supply rooms, linked to 17 recalls, mostly urgent and over six months old, posing significant patient risks, especially with implantables. Patients were at risk for an average of 8.2 months. SxanPro and NotiSphere’s automation reduced risks, effectively eliminating them for recalled products, and earning the health system $107,000 in manufacturer credits.

Clinical: The new technology led to improved nursing efficiency by eliminating the need to search for expired items. This enhancement allowed the clinical team to focus on patient care.

Together, the multi-functional efforts led to improved patient safety, efficient operational processes, and significant financial recoveries, illustrating the effectiveness of a collaborative and strategic approach in healthcare inventory management.