The effectiveness of inventory management system of Regional Medical Science Center - Chonburi

Abstract

Background: The high number of purchases created various impacts. It delayed other activities of RMSc CB operations. Inventory management staff had to spend most of working time for the procurement of supplies. This time constraint had affected the inventory control. In 2001, RMSc CB applied for the ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation. The nonconformance to the quality assurance system was found in the area of inventory management particularly in inventory control. The inventory scientific equipment control involve keeping detailed record on each piece of equipment, including such information were serial numbers, date the equipment was purchased, price, location, agency etc. The control and maintenance of scientific equipment supplies according to the quality assurance system had not been in place. The actual coding numbers labeled on scientific equipment were still the old numbers that were not matched with the number in the record of durable articles developed in 2001. Some equipment had not even been labeled with any numbers at all. This was not compliant to the quality assurance inventory control according to SENAC system (Scientific Equipment Name and Coding number system). The high number of purchases created various impacts. It delayed other activities of RMSc CB operations Inventory Staff had to spend most of working time for the procurement of supplies. This time constraint had affected the inventory control. Scientific equipment had not been controlled by SENAC system of the quality assurance system. This problem presented during 1999-2001 but no actions were done. According to the RMSc CB’s Vision in 2005, laboratory analysis should apply for ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, Non-conformances have been found every time of the inspection for ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation of RMSc CB. More importantly, it had caused problems. Therefore, these problems had to be addressed as an urgent basis. This was based on the concept of work model according to “Open System Theory” of Robbins and Coulter, 1999, So that the working team was established to address the problems. They conduced a study in effort to find solution using SWOT analysis and solving problem. Objective: The goal of the project is to enhance the effectiveness of inventory management system of RMSc CB through the development of inventory procurement; inventory control; and improvement of related staff performance in order to achieve the following objectives. Methods: The project was implemented during 6 month consisting of 3 phases. The first phase focuses on preparation by reviewing existent inventory management system, planning and goal setting ,and design and developing supply and inventory management system. During the second phase the inventory staff’s had been trained and new system was tested. The last phase was an evaluation. Data were collected using both qualitative and qualitative methods including the use of survey, observation and in depth interviews. Results: The study found that the knowledge and skill of inventory staff have increased. The drop of annual number of the office supply purchase in 2003 reached the target of decreased of 50 percentage. And the coding numbers of all scientific equipment were matched and update with the ones in the inventory control system. The satisfaction levels of RMSc CB staff have increased as well. Conclusion: The project was successful in implementation. The evaluation program provided information about the results of the training in term’s knowledge and skills of inventory staff have increased. New inventory systems management could be decrease frequency purchase office supplies and error scientific equipment coding number. That could ultimately enhance staff’s satisfaction. However the overall program performance could be further improved.