Use a primary vendor. Choosing a single primary vendor is generally more efficient and economical than buying from several (see "Compare Before You Contract"). If one distributor gets the bulk of your business, you are a much more valuable customer than someone who orders just a few items. Establishing a relationship with a primary vendor also reduces your workload and helps you order less frequently by creating standing orders.

Consolidate ordering schedules. Establish a day of the week or month when you'll order medical supplies and pharmaceuticals. To keep everyone focused on patient care, try to avoid placing, paying for and receiving orders at times other than the designated "supply day."

Analyze usage. This helps you keep appropriate stock. Most ASCs have limited storage space, so buying in larger quantities may not be practical. Having too much inventory causes clutter and makes it difficult to find items quickly. On the other hand, buying too little can force you to reorder too often (or, worse yet, run out). Most distributors can provide you purchase history reports to show the use level each week or month. Work with the distributor to select an ordering pattern (weekly, biweekly, or monthly) that works best for your center based on historical data.

Standardize products. Many surgery centers carry several brands of the same item. Whenever the physicians or nurses can agree on just one brand as the standard, you'll save money. This makes ordering easier and increases the volume of the products you choose, sometimes resulting in volume discounts or promotional bonuses such as buy three, get one free.

Seek specials and discounts. The ASC should consider taking advantage of buying products that are "on special." Also, if you see a product a different distributor has for less, ask your sales rep to match that price. Most distributors want to assist you in getting you what you need within your budget.

Track expenditures. This is particularly important for large ASCs. Some price negotiation may be worthwhile, but generally only for the top tier of products by usage and cost. Track your expenditures for those items that the ASC spends the most on annually. These data can be used either as volume power to leverage future negotiations or as a management tool to control expenses.

Consult with your sales rep. Use your sales rep as a consultant to help you identify efficient ways to mange inventory, ease ordering and select the most appropriate products for your needs. Knowledgeable sales reps deliver increased value to you by minimizing your supply management time and letting you devote more time to patient care.

Order the correct items. Spending extra time on the front end to order the correct items saves you a lot of time later. Returns and credits are time-consuming to process. If a mistake occurs, be proactive and find out exactly what happened and why, so you can avoid backtracking again on future orders.

Consider automated ordering. Order electronically if it's available. Your facility and your distributor will save tremendous time and money. (See "Browser's Paradise: 5 Top Web Sites for Online Ordering" on page 26.)

Make use of tools available from your distributor. The use of standardized order forms, fax order forms and formularies make the job that much easier for you and the distributor.

Don't take it for granted
With so many critical issues to manage, it's easy to see why materials management purchasing barely captures the attention of most ASC administrators. While the process of keeping items like gloves and syringes in stock should be simple and should never distract from patient care, it can if you don't keep on top of it.