Baylor Scott & White Health

Process improvement isn’t always just about the process. You must have the right team to accomplish, retain, and continue improving your processes. I have been in supply chain management for over 30 years and have made many mistakes in processes, but I continue to improve my knowledge. Through mistakes, we learn what works and what doesn’t in our current world. People change, laws change, situations change, and we need to adapt. We must always think about whom it will affect. We have to ask ourselves, how many different departments and hands will it touch by changing our process?You must be a visionary to be able to think of all possible outcomes.

At one of my facilities, the original crew that was there when I arrived all left on their own. It wasn’t the right team. They all went on to better situations and are flourishing. We flourished, too, with a new team. The new processes we have implemented are working, but we’ve had to tweak a few once or twice. One of our first projects was to clean up the department; we had overflow from over-ordering. This wasn’t my first facility to have to clean up. We implemented a process, and it took almost six months to redo and adjust the process. Every new place has its challenges, and sometimes, a pair of new eyes comes in handy. The world of supply chain in healthcare is ever-changing! We need to be able to change with the times.

Through mistakes, we learn what works and what doesn’t in our current world. People change, laws change, situations change, and we need to adapt

In the past, at a different facility, we were behind in paying our invoices because the Purchase Orders and invoices didn’t match. There were many after-hours meetings to sit down and clear them up. Once we caught up a bit, we implemented a new process to help keep it up and be no more than 30 days behind. Colored folders to visually see Net 15 and Net 30, who was late, and what the issue was. It took both AP and the supply chain working together to accomplish the task at hand to catch up on paying. Flexibility is a must at times, and collaboration with other departments and teams. There is a new project on the horizon, and I am extremely excited to start it as we face issues with our current process. It coincides with items supplies cleanup. Trying to make it better for the end-user and all departments involved.