Resource efficiency through Supply Cart System

During the planning phase of the new OR department, Claraspital set the goal of achieving the highest level of quality and resource efficiency in future operations through efficient and standardized OR materials management. Together with UNITY, an interdisciplinary project team developed and implemented the vision of innovative OR logistics using standardized supply carts per procedure. The focus of the concept lies on a fully integrated process and data flow – from digital registrations of surgeries to recording material usage directly in the operating room. Additional key elements are a task-oriented organization as well as an optimized infrastructure.

By connecting registered surgeries with the corresponding standardized materials lists, patient-specific material recommendations and finally picking orders for supply carts will be generated automatically. Then materials are selected and provided just-in-time by qualified logistics personnel, thereby reducing the workload of OR nurses. To optimize space usage in the new building, the OR department and the so-called support area (Central Sterile Supply Department, OR materials storage and centralized warehouse) are located on separate floors however, form one procedural unit. The newly implemented materials management tool combined with the fully integrated ERP system enable professional OR logistics with a high degree of automation and inventory-managed storage locations.

To ease the commissioning of the new building, future logistics processes were simulated and tested at an early stage of the planning phase. In addition, process variations, as well as spatial and personnel capacities were validated. The implementation of OR logistics was finally realized in multiple stages, ensuring stable and standardized processes and patient safety at all times.