How surgical vendor inventory software can help?

Surgical implants are a large portion of surgical budgets, so it’s important that your surgical vendor inventory is accurate and managed efficiently. While ensuring enough inventory is on hand to meet the needs of your patients, you are also accountable to a budget. Attempting to manage all inventory for your surgical suites internally can result in backlogs and money losses. However, these common issues are easily solved with vendor management software.

Surgical Vendor Inventory Billing Issues

In the operating room, it’s understandable that providers make “bill-only” invoicing errors. Providers must record charges for supplies used during surgery in order to be reimbursed, but this process is complicated. Mistakes happen as a result. Unfortunately, this creates under- or overcharges.

When surgical inventory is manually managed by entering serial numbers into a spreadsheet, a simple error becomes costly. A simple mistake, like entering the wrong serial number, results in incorrect charges. This is a major issue if there is a recall and the records of which device is in a patient are incorrect.

With some surgical vendor inventory management software programs, the process of bill-only invoicing is automated. Providers just scan the implant, and the program checks it against a master inventory list before creating an invoice. Software systems like this result in more accurate records.

Eliminate Rogue Spending

In the past, it was easy to purchase supplies outside of the main contract. This happens often when the systems are disorganized or when multiple people are responsible for different aspects of the supply chain. Rogue spending causes significant losses and hurts your budget.

With surgical vendor inventory management, automation eliminates rogue spending. This type of software tracks inventory and only allows reordering if and when necessary.

Ensuring Contract Compliance

Sometimes orders are placed that violate the terms of the contract with your vendors. This is not on purpose, of course, but causes both short- and long-term problems with your inventory supply chain.

Surgical vendor inventory management software takes over this process by integrating with the surgical schedule and real-time updates to vendors about needs. By keeping vendors aware of your inventory demands, this software eliminates purchases that aren’t compliant with your contracts. When a request or delivery occurs that violates the contract, the software flags the item. Then, it sends a notification to  you and the vendor.

Surgical Vendor Inventory Management Software Fills Communication Gaps

Analog implant supply chain management leads to missing or outdated information on what is used and where, not to mention when to replenish stock. It isn’t unusual for providers to rely on their surgical implant reps for restocking. This requires contacting them and making sure you know exactly what is needed. Processes like this are inefficient and not always a very secure way to conduct business. When you are using paper notes (or worse, sticky notes, as some surgical suites use), or having to type data into spreadsheets, it’s easy to make mistakes – or, even worse, lose the information.

Poor communication is also dangerous when it means information about recalls doesn’t reach the patient. It’s critical to have a record of the exact model and serial number of every implant while still maintaining confidentiality.

Vendor inventory supply management software eliminates the need for back-and-forth communication about surgical implant inventory. In the surgical suite, providers need to focus on their patients, not on trying to maintain accurate inventory. There are software programs that automate this process. Also, these software solutions can be cloud-based if that is your preference. When selecting a software program, make sure it’s HIPAA-compliant.

Demand Forecast Challenges Resolved

Usually, you need to predict what is needed in order to be stocked and ready. However, it’s not always apparent what medical needs will arise. Surgical implant supply management software analyzes patterns and makes accurate predictions about inventory needs. By accessing your surgical schedule, this software predicts your needs and notifies vendors in advance.

Supply Chain Oversight

Automation is a great solution, but you still need to know the current status of all levels in your surgical supply chain. Surgical supply software incorporates these reporting needs in one place. This makes it easy to access data regarding delivery dates, supply and demand, and contract compliance. This software allows you to view specific data for a vendor or even an individual surgeon.

Surgical Implant Management Software Benefits

Consider a cloud-based software option to manage your surgical implant inventory as an ideal solution. Not only do these software programs remove much of the guesswork and potential for mistakes from the supply chain, but they also reduce your staffing workload. In many ways, surgical implant management software saves time and money, while ensuring accuracy.