By Healthcare Facilities Today

Cardinal Health unveiled its 2-Bin Kanban solution, an innovative approach to inventory management at the Fall IDN Summit and Reverse Expo in Phoenix, according to a release on the Healthcare Purchasing News website.

The Cardinal Health 2-Bin Kanban solution combines principles of the Lean Six Sigma managerial concept of improving business efficiency and effectiveness with proprietary, cloud-based software. It can replace expensive point-of-use systems, improve supply forecasting to prevent overstocking and stockouts, eliminate expired and obsolete supplies, and reduce clinical labor in materials handling, according to the release.

In the 2-Bin Kanban solution, a nurse removes the last product from the front bin. The nurse then places the empty bin on a top shelf in the inventory area and pulls the rear bin forward. Materials Management scans the empty bins to trigger replenishment and initiate orders. Materials Management restocks empty bins and transports the bins to patient floors. During the replenishment process, Materials Management inserts the restocked bin as a rear bin in the two-bin set-up to support a first-in, first-out inventory approach. The process then repeats.

The system's proprietary software "learns" from consumption patterns in real time and calculates correct bin quantities as changes in patient census, clinical practice and seasonal factors occur. The system generates supply orders based on standard bin quantity.

Read the release and watch an instructional video.