Off-site storage--move it!

The planning and implementation of the onsite proposal required the devotion and creativity of many individuals, including administrative, clerical, and line workers, and has been accomplished through the completion of a series of objectives. While the plan took three years to be realized, cost containment efforts of this magnitude signify the important contribution a material management department can make in the healthcare industry. Departmental credibility and support from customers are the foundation for implementing such a plan in any medical center. Materiel management departments continue to incorporate creative and innovative programs into their daily operations, which contributes to the institution's bottom-line. This on-site project has brought The University of Michigan Hospitals one step closer to its ultimate cost containment goal of a total stockless purchasing/supply program.

A hospital-wide forms management program: doing more for less.

The day-to-day management of the hospital forms business can be time-consuming, frustrating, and expensive. In many cases, the official inventory represents only a fraction of the total number of forms used throughout an institution. Since the responsibility for inventory and quality control becomes diffuse, forms users experience frequent stockouts and poorly designed forms. Without a centralized program, it is difficult to determine the costs associated with forms. An effective forms management program can be designed to fulfill most everyone's needs. The program described in this article incorporates the concept of stockless purchasing to gain better quality forms at significant cost savings.