Saving cost thanks to improved management of stock

Hospital de Igualada manages to save over 66,000 euros per year thanks to the use of RFID technology in its surgical area. This technology allows the storage and recuperation of medical data using radio frequency identification devices.

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In 2014, the Palex Smart Cabinet, which uses RFID technology to control the traceability of products, was installed in the surgical area of the hospital. RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification, a system for storing and recuperating remote data that uses devices called RFID labels or tags.

The cabinet includes an advanced management, control and safety system for high-cost materials that offers information in real time concerning all of the entry and exit movements of the products stored in it. In one year, the hospital surgeries managed to achieve cost savings of 37% (over 66,000 euros) thanks to better control of the management of 72 high-cost references (meshes, trocars, scissors, staplers, dispensers, valves, sealers, etc.). Of the total saved, 90% corresponds to the shrinkage reduction and 10% to the control of expiry dates.
Consumption cost savings pay for themselves in a matter of one year and, thanks to stock control, product breakages are eliminated. A reduction of stock is achieved, both in value (40%) and in volume, in the first few months following implementation of the system. It is also worth highlighting that, with this system, the time spent on logistic tasks is considerably reduced (around 80%) as well as time spent looking for products (40%). The time spent on inventory counts is reduced by 100% as this task is carried out automatically and instantly. Therefore, the implementation of this system has implied a considerable improvement for the hospital in terms of the management of material and economic resources and an increase in care quality.

Information source:
La Unió Catalana d'Hospitals reconeix la gestió de l'Hospital d'Igualada. Anoia Diari [Internet]. 19th of December, 2015 [consulted on the 29th of August, 2018]; [approx. 2 screens]. Available at http://anoiadiari.cat/societat/unio-catalana-hospitals-reconeix-gestio-hospital-igualada/