At the start of the pandemic, Lombardy faced an unprecedented emergency, with complex dynamics not only for the intensive care unit and inpatient management, but also for health supplies and the procurement and distribution of warehouse resources.
Products and PPE such as masks, gloves and protective equipment assumed strategic importance and their management and distribution had to be carefully organized.
This problem then spread to the rest of the Italian regions and with it the need to rationalize the system.
Beta 80 Group, with its vast experience in both logistics and emergency industries, developed a new model for the management of strategic stocks and warehouses.
Healthcare stock management before the pandemic
Before February 2020, regions had multiple healthcare warehouses often independently managed by different entities (hospitals, associations, or the region itself). Each warehouse was autonomous, orders and shipments were carried out without a centralized system.
The database containing the available supply type and quantity was not shared between the different. There was no unified management platform capable of centralizing data and coordinating orders and allocations.
This system showed its weaknesses at the pandemic outbreak when the sharing and right allocation of strategic supplies proved to be fundamental to guarantee support and network throughout the territory.
Lombardy was the first region to advocate and implement the adoption of a new model for the management of strategic supplies. The new platform, developed by Beta 80 Group, unified the databases of the different regional warehouses, to gain the situational overview and manage orders and supplies more rationally.
All this was possible through a coordinated activity of our Warehouse Management and Emergency & Crisis Management Units.
Logistics and Emergency Management: a winning combination for strategic stocks
The Lombardy solution was simple and effective.
Using Stockager, Beta 80 Group's Warehouse Management Platform, the different databases have been centralized on a single warehouse management platform, capable of responding to the regional health supply needs.
The Warehouse Management software (WMS) installation revolutionized strategic inventory management, simplifying it and making it more efficient.
The new strategic health stock management system was key to strategically:
- Optimize inventory management
- Have a clear and complete view of the stock status of the various warehouses
- Real-time monitor of stocks and deadlines
- Manage purchases
An optimized stock management system that allows a precise and rapid response to emergencies and unforeseen events.
But what exactly does a strategic warehouse do?
The Lombardy WMS solution maps all important healthcare supplies and their distribution in the different locations and reorganizes them in a precise system. It also leverages cloud technology to connect in the various entities and databases.
Strategic inventory management: why it is essential
The new system proved to be essential in the management of emergencies or large events, but its benefits go beyond this. It also optimizes and facilitates the day-to-day activities and operations.
The 360 ° view of the entire system, for example, allows for real-time updates on the status of the warehouses, avoiding waste, unnecessary orders and, therefore, saving time and resources.
A WMS applied to healthcare warehouses can:
- Optimize the warehouse as a whole
- Easily manage physical operations
- Have a clear and up-to-date view of the status of strategic stocks
The WMS guarantees full and lasting coverage and makes real-time purchase proposals.
What were the results of adopting the new system in Lombardy?
- Efficient inventory monitoring
- Orders consistent with actual regional needs
- Less waste of time and resources
- Reduced costs
- A safe, unified, easy to manage system
- A secure cloud database
- Reliable reports on stock status and inventories
- Management of deadlines aimed at reducing waste
- Real-time control of the order fulfillment status
- Practical and effective planning of procurement
Beta 80 Group: EMS and WMS
Beta 80 Group is the leader for emergency management and the logistic industry, thanks to highly specialized teams and proprietary software. The combination of the expertise of the two Business Units led to the creation of a strategic project, intended to significantly improve the times and methods of reaction to unexpected and / or major emergencies, such as environmental disasters and health emergencies.