How we become more efficient through intelligent stock management
The daily activity of a dental practice can sometimes be harder to manage because of the complex dynamics specific to the field. Planning is unquestionably the solution every dental clinic manager needs, and it involves a series of important aspects that must be taken into account to eliminate less pleasant situations. One of the things that can generate unease within the team is the management of consumable materials and other inventory items and materials.
Without efficient planning, the medical team may find itself needing a certain product or instrument and, at that exact moment, discover that the inventory item required to continue an action already underway is missing. Beyond the fact that such an undesirable incident will reduce the clinic's productivity and profitability, it will also affect the patient's perception of the quality of care practised in the clinic — or even the clinic's long-term reputation if the episode repeats and becomes part of attitudes the clinic accepts. It is therefore clear that an efficient inventory-control system is invaluable, and to make it easier to implement, it does not need to be complicated.
An important problem in inventory control is organisation at the human-resources level. Within the clinic there must be a plan established and agreed at team level, specifying that every member must understand how inventory control works and, implicitly, that each person will take responsibility for fulfilling their part of the overall system.
To have traceability over the process, as well as clarity regarding responsibility for implementing a successful system, general practice is to designate one person responsible for maintaining contact with suppliers and placing orders. Even if this role is assigned to a single person, effective inventory control remains the responsibility of the entire staff. In some dental practices, the assistant is responsible for ordering supplies related to the preventive area of the practice. Those responsible for the clinical areas of the practice must note how much of a product remains available when stocks are replenished. When a product is running low, there must be a communication system to indicate that it is time to place a new order. Most systems allow the administrative assistant or reception staff to keep a record of data relating to order requirements and the costs associated with products. This helps track when stock is received or how much of a product has been used. In most situations, the person who uses the last item must add the product to the purchasing list or ensure that information about the need to replenish stock for that product has been passed to the designated responsible person on the team. At the same time, as a result of these actions, certain consumption habits can form at clinic level, enabling estimates that can ease the inventory-management process.
Another important role in the clinic is that of the person designated to manage hazardous waste and maintain Safety Data Sheets (SDS). Even so, as mentioned earlier, all staff members are responsible for providing the information needed for the proper running of waste management in the clinic.
An important point to remember about the efficiency of an inventory-management system is that it must be designed so as to eliminate entirely the possibility that, when a product is needed, the person intending to use it finds only an empty package in its place.
Types of inventory materials and basic categories
Inventory products can be divided into three basic categories: consumables, non-consumables, and capital products or fixed assets. Consumables are single-use items such as gloves, protective masks, needles, various types of composite, anaesthetics, medicines, or medical sutures. The non-consumable category includes reusable items that do not constitute a major expense — specifically most dental instruments, with the exception of single-use ones. Capital products are generally represented by large, expensive equipment that is rarely replaced, such as computers, sterilizers, radiography equipment, or dental chairs.
Selecting suppliers and streamlining acquisition costs
The total materials needed are generally covered through collaboration with several suppliers, given that it is highly unlikely for a single one to cover the level of detail and specificity of every dental practice or clinic. In addition, buying from several suppliers can be more economical, because the person responsible for purchasing will constantly monitor market developments and always ensure they accept the right price for the products ordered.
Many suppliers have sales representatives who visit dental practices to promote products and obtain orders. The responsible person in the clinic must be prepared both through a good general knowledge of available products — so they can ask the right questions — and regarding the clinic's particular requirements and needs should an order be placed. In some cases, representatives also speak with the dentist to present the benefits of a new product; in other situations, the doctor passes all necessary information to the responsible person, usually front-desk staff.
An important aspect to take into account is choosing suppliers according to several criteria beyond the financial one, such as recommendations from other colleagues in the community, experiences from previous purchases, the variety of products available, or order delivery times. Regardless of the criteria considered at the moment of purchase, the essential aspect that must determine the buying decision is the quality of the products offered. Materials must be quality products and, where applicable, comply with the specifications of the Ministry of Health and other regulatory bodies.
Building an inventory system
The first step in organising the inventory-management process is to simplify it. An inventory system is ultimately a list of stock and assets in the dental practice. This list is divided into two parts: capital equipment, and consumable and non-consumable supplies. It is useful for the responsible staff to familiarise themselves both with the types and quantities of products and materials used in the practice and with the monetary value of current inventory and the minimum and maximum quantities of products needed for the practice. With a manual system, this can be done using a spreadsheet accessible to the people relevant to the process, though responsibility for the accuracy of the information will remain with a single person. Dedicated programmes, applications, and other software can also be used that automate part of the process and considerably ease the work of the person handling inventory. An automation system also helps by reducing the probability of errors in the ordering flow.
Inventory control for fixed assets
Fixed assets also need to be inventoried through a dedicated process. This means the responsible person must stay permanently informed about the warranty periods of equipment in the practice and the dates when reviews and checks are required. To ensure that important dates are not missed, it is essential that the inventory system includes, for each item, information about it — including purchase date, serial numbers, certain comments about the product, or warranty dates. Additionally, especially in larger clinics, the fixed-asset inventory system may include information about the site, floor, or room where the respective piece of equipment is located.
Implementing an efficient inventory system may seem complicated at first glance, but its long-term benefits are undeniable. Once fixed and movable assets, consumables, and related categories are clearly defined and organised, the dental clinic will see a significant increase in efficiency and productivity.
Training the staff responsible for stock management is essential for understanding the importance of following the established protocol. By implementing a rigorous inventory system, the team will be able to work in a more orderly, relaxed, and efficient way, contributing to a more positive overall atmosphere in the clinic.
ADOM — the Association of Dental Office Managers — has drawn on the experience of more than 25 years of the DENT ESTET clinic group, which has tested and implemented over time a variety of protocols and work processes that it has continuously improved, including the process of efficient inventory management within the dental clinic.
Through ADOM programmes, participants gain access to more than an extended community of specialists. By explaining and providing complex sets of procedures and protocols as deliverable materials included in course packages, participants receive the tools and resources they need, ready to be implemented from the very next day. With these, they can unquestionably build their own management systems and play an active role in achieving success within their own clinics.
The investment in time and resources required to implement an inventory system, as well as to assimilate other equally important work protocols, will certainly be rewarded in multiple ways — from significant cost savings to a considerable increase in the satisfaction of a team that will learn to work with less effort while achieving excellence.