A Guide to Managing Aesthetic Product Inventory

Arrange products based upon their usage.

Start by listing all items that are currently available for purchase at the clinic. Organise the products into three categories: those used as part of patient treatments; those that are consumed daily (e.g., disposable gloves); and those that are sold to patients. This will help you keep track of what types of supplies are being purchased and how they are being utilised. For every product, identify which type of treatment(s) require that product and where staff members can locate that product when needed.

Give all products a single consistent name. Also, record whether the product is used in single units (one item at a time) or multiple units (e.g., a package). Recording this information allows for an easy comparison between how much of the product has been ordered and how much remains on the store shelves.

Follow-Up on Your Medication Use with Appointments

You can find out how frequently each type of service is scheduled as well as the types of supplies needed to perform the service. If you use a product on a regular basis for many of your most sought-after services, you will likely deplete that product at a much greater rate than a product that is rarely utilised. The relationship between your treatment schedule and your inventory allows you to better understand fluctuations in demand.

Ask your employees to keep track of items used, open, and thrown out. Keep patient retail sales separate from the items used in the treatment room to maintain the accuracy of the data. After a short period of time, this tracking system may reveal whether the amount of product typically ordered by the clinic is in line with the quantity actually consumed.

Create Practical Reorder Points

For each product that is required for your practice to function properly, determine the minimum amount of this product that you feel safe about having in stock until you can place an additional order. When making these decisions, think about how rapidly your clinic goes through the product, whether you have any scheduled appointments, and how long the supplier will take to ship the order. Those products which are used most often as part of the daily routine at the clinic should probably have a higher "buffer" (or safety margin) than those which are rarely used.

As the popularity of services increases or decreases, review your reorder points. While ordering on a regular monthly basis may provide some convenience, it should always be reviewed against existing stock levels. Stock control systems for reliable aesthetic clinics can range from as basic as having an up-to-date shared record to reviewing the records at set intervals.

Why would someone choose to shop at Elumia Med Store?

Elumia Med Store is a source for clinics to obtain medical/aesthetic supplies, both consumable everyday items and treatment-specific products. After you have reviewed your current inventory records to see what needs to be restocked, you may then create a list based on those findings to review each product description/pricing and determine whether or not it is available prior to placing an order.

Final Thoughts

The most effective inventory management occurs when employees are able to easily find the answers to these three questions: What do we currently have available? How fast are we using it? When will we need to order more? To begin, establish a standard product listing. Next, track product use. Then, verify the age of products on hand. Finally, compare your data with what you physically see on the shelves. These practices will assist in maintaining sufficient levels of supply for each appointment, while also assisting in preventing unnecessary ordering of excessive quantities.