One interesting fact about hospital supply chain management is that most supply chain managers, I have discovered, don’t employ monthly and annual supply chain management reports to their bosses. These reports should be designed to inform their bosses of the successes that they are achieving in their departments. Most supply chain professionals just assume that their bosses take for granted that they are doing a good job. Don’t be so sure about this.
One of the most important communication devices I have found for keeping my bosses completely informed about my supply chain department’s activities is a monthly and annual report. I also recommend this tactic to all of our clients every chance I get. These periodic reports create a level of transparency, trust, and communication that no other tool can provide.
Integrated Hospital Supply Chain Report
Your bosses are busy, preoccupied, and rushed in all things, so you need to get their attention with a formal report that touches on all phases (e.g., savings, statistics, staffing, inventory, asset management, etc.) of your hospital’s supply chain operations. I call this an integrated supply chain report that is designed to show your bosses your financial and nonfinancial success. In this way, there is no confusion on what your supply chain department is achieving monthly, quarterly, and annually. It’s on paper for everyone to see!
Since most hospitals manage by goals and objectives, I also liked to show my department’s progress against my annual goals and objectives on my monthly and annual reports. This made it easy for my boss to see how I was doing on these goals and objectives without even asking me about them. See how this can make your job easier?
I would like to think that all hospital supply chain managers would buy into this concept (integrated supply chain reports) as the best communication tool to keep their bosses informed of their success, but I know a few will still feel that this is just an extra job that isn’t in their job description.
To them I say, isn’t it worth the extra effort each month and each year to absolutely ensure that your boss doesn’t wonder what you are doing to bring more lasting and intrinsic value to his or her healthcare organization? I would think after some reflection the answer would be…YES!
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