Inventory Management Performance of Medical Analysis Laboratory in a Public Hospital

Healthcare decision-makers are increasingly prioritizing the measurement and enhancement of performance in order to deliver high-qualityQuality care efficiently in the face of escalating demand, rising costs, and limited resources. In this context, this study was conducted by an interdisciplinary team within a medicalMedical analysisAnalysis, Analytics laboratory of a Tunisian university hospitalHospital. More than 50,000 samples are collected per year, under the responsibility of medicalMedical biologists. The project aimed at optimizing inventoryInventory managementManagement for reagents and consumables. Initiating with modeling and analyzing existing supply processes using Business Process Model and Notation and Ishikawa diagrams, the team evaluated the current state based on collected data, pinpointing deficiencies hampering inventory management. These included layout issues, storage area organization, underutilization of Decision Support System (DSS), and leanLean inventory practices. Efforts were channeled towards implementing a new DSS and guiding staff in its adoption, acknowledging the substantial shift from manual to computerized inventoryInventory managementManagement. The adoption of the ADKAR methodology facilitated the transition, alongside a focus on optimizing storage areas and developing a just-in-time inventory system. These comprehensive interventions culminated in significant improvements in laboratory performance, demonstrating the effectiveness of strategic improvements in healthcare operations.