Establishment of a Standardized Supply System Based on the Usage of Medical Materials

Purpose: Supply and storage of medical materials are critical components of hospitals. A standardized supply system using time-series forecasting was implemented to provide wards with timely supplies based on actual needs. This approach helped reduce storage issues and minimized related nursing tasks.Methods: The project was conducted in two stages to address different supply cycles and the challenge of forecasting the quantity required for the ward’s needs. In the first stage, supply cycles were standardized to five times per week, and the location and size of the storage cabinets were standardized across all wards. In the second stage, ward storage cabinets were automatically replenished with new cabinets stocked with standardized items based on past usage.Results: The mean weekly transported supply quantity decreased from 6,278 to 5,481 (12.7%). The mean inventory across all wards reduced from 3,471 ± 1609 to 1,741 ± 354 (p<.001), resulting in a 30% reduction in storage space. A retrospective analysis revealed minimal emergency requests (0.1% of total supply) despite not keeping any items in stock.Conclusion: We confirmed the timely supply of the quantity required for ward needs through a ward logistics standardization project. Storage-related issues and inventory management tasks are reduced by the daily exchange of supply or storage cabinets and the accurate estimation of future demand based on past usage.