ADAPTIVE CRITICAL LOW LEVEL MANAGEMENT

• US 20100082458A1
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carefusion 303 Incorporated (Becton Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Cardinal Health 303 Incorporated (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Inventors: GODLEWSKI, Peter Phillip
• Granted Patent: US 8,170,927 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders

Abstract

An adaptive critical low level management system is described. In some embodiments, the system includes a configuration module configured to receive a service level setting and a storage module configured to receive usage information for at least one inventory of at least one type of medical item. The system also includes a processor configured to adaptively determine a critical low level based on the usage information and the service level setting, and an analysis module configured to determine when the critical low level has been reached by the at least one inventory of the at least one type of medical item, and to produce an output indication that the critical low level has been reached.

Claims

1. An adaptive critical low level management system, comprising:

a configuration module configured to receive a service level setting;

a storage module configured to receive usage information for at least one inventory of at least one type of medical item;

a processor configured to adaptively determine a critical low level based on said usage information and said service level setting; and

an analysis module configured to determine when said critical low level has been reached by said at least one inventory of said at least one type of medical item, and to produce an output indication that said critical low level has been reached.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a notification module configured to transmit a notification in response to said output indication from said analysis module when said critical low level has been reached.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a display module configured to display said notification.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising an ordering module configured to order more inventory of said at least one type of medical item when said critical low level has been reached by said at least one inventory of said at least one type of medical item.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor is further configured to determine said critical low level based on a probability that said at least one type of medical item will stock out before a next scheduled time for restocking of said at least one type of medical item.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor is further configured to determine said critical low level based on an average usage for said at least one inventory of said at least one type of medical item and at least one standard deviation for said at least one inventory of said at least one type of medical item that approaches said service level setting.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor is further configured to determine said critical low level by based on at least one of a total usage for said at least one inventory of said at least one type of medical item and an estimated inventory usage for said at least one inventory of said at least one type of medical item before a next scheduled restock of said at least one type of medical item.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said usage information comprises at least one of a current number of said at least one inventory of said at least one type of medical item, an amount of time left before a next restock of said at least one inventory of said at least one type of medical item, and a preset maximum capacity or minimum capacity for said at least one inventory of said at least one type of medical item.

9. A method, for stock maintenance, comprising:

selecting a service level setting;

receiving usage information for at least one inventory of at least one type of medical item;

calculating a critical low level based on said usage information and said service level setting;

determining whether said critical low level has been reached by said at least one inventory of said at least one type of medical item; and

outputting said determination.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting a notification when said critical low level has been reached by said inventory of said at least one type of medical item.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising displaying said notification.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising ordering additional inventory of said at least one type of medical item when said critical low level has been reached by said inventory of said at least one type of medical item.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein calculating a critical low level based on said usage information and said service level setting further comprises using a probability that said at least one type of medical item will stock out before a next scheduled time for restocking of said at least one type of medical item.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein calculating a critical low level based on said usage information and said service level setting further comprises:

calculating an average usage for said at least one inventory of said at least one type of medical item; and

calculating at least one standard deviation for said at least one inventory of said at least one type of medical item that approaches said service level setting.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein calculating a critical low level based on said usage information and said service level setting further comprises:

calculating a total usage for said at least one inventory of said at least one type of medical item;

calculating an estimated inventory usage for said at least one inventory of said at least one type of medical item before a next scheduled restock of said at least one type of medical item based on said service level setting; and

calculating an estimated date of when said at least one inventory of said at least one type of medical item will stock out based on said calculated total usage and said calculated estimated inventory usage.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein said usage information comprises at least one of a current number of said at least one inventory of said at least one type of medical item, an amount of time left before a next restock of said at least one inventory of said at least one type of medical item, and a preset maximum capacity or minimum capacity for said at least one inventory of said at least one type of medical item.

17. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for causing a processor to execute instructions to maintain a stock by performing steps comprising:

selecting a service level setting;

receiving usage information for at least one inventory of at least one type of medical item;

calculating a critical low level based on said usage information and said service level setting;

determining whether said critical low level has been reached by said at least one inventory of said at least one type of medical item; and

outputting said determination.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, having further computer-executable instructions for performing said step of comprising transmitting a notification when said critical low level has been reached by said inventory of said at least one type of medical item.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, having further computer-executable instructions for performing said step of displaying said notification.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, having further computer-executable instructions for performing said step of ordering additional inventory of said at least one type of medical item when said critical low level has been reached by said inventory of said at least one type of medical item.