Host Nicole Clausen is drilling down on her Top Five Tasks for mastering your inventory management. She covers everything from regulatory compliance to negotiating with vendors, offering up great insights and tips to keep you on track. You’ll come away with new checklists to smooth your process, thoughts about the importance of creating boundaries with sales reps and ideas to help you get your team onboard “The Price Is Right”-style!

• First off, an affirmation! You may be doing what feels like a thankless job, but your inventory management is fueling every aspect of the practice. You’re a valuable team member!
• On to the show! Five Key Inventory Management Tasks to Remember!
• #1: Regulatory Compliance: Know applicable requirements and have a system that helps you to keep current. It varies from state to state and nation to nation, but generally speaking federal law dictates checks on things like rabies tags and biannual controlled drug counts (as separate from reconciling controlled drug logs).
• #2: Rally your team! Remember that — even if it’s not your job — it’s to your advantage to get everyone onboard with your inventory management system.
• #3: Stay on top of purchasing! That can look like negotiating with a vendor, joining a GPO (group purchasing organization) or using Vetcove to keep on top of and compare various price points. It’s a worthwhile investment of time!
• #4: Build relationships with your reps! They can be very helpful (especially if you set clear boundaries around your availability)
• #5: Maintain a growth mindset. Always be looking for ways to evolve and improve your inventory practices. Don’t get stuck in business as usual!
• As an inventory person, you are far more than a clerk! Carry with pride your mantle as a pace-setter in helping your practice reach its fullest potential!
• Don’t forget to pause and celebrate yourself. You are a huge contributor!

Hi, I’m Nicole Clausen and I started Veterinary Care Logistics with the dream of changing the way we manage inventory together.

With 14+ years of experience in the veterinary industry, I have worked in several positions from receptionist to operations manager for several different hospitals.

While no two practices are ever just alike, I noticed one common problem: a lack of inventory management and control.

If you are tasked with managing inventory, I understand first-hand the challenges you face.

When I first started managing inventory, I struggled with the same things that many of my client’s experience: a to-do list up my chin and a pretty persistent case of imposter syndrome. But jolting awake in the middle of the night, wondering if you remembered to order rabies vaccines is no way to live.

I knew something had to change.

Veterinary Care Logistics was born out of the demand by several industry leaders to utilize my inventory system as a model throughout the country. Whenever I tell people what I do, I usually get a puzzled reaction: “Why would you want to do that? I hate inventory!” Truthfully, I love the puzzles, the numbers, and the strategies of inventory. But what really sets my soul on fire is creating lightbulb moments.

New clients who often come to me tell me that they feel like they’re drowning or that they think they’re just not cut out for this. Then once we start working together, putting systems in place, there’s always, always an “ah-ha” moment.

And at that moment, a shift occurs. You know exactly what you need to do. Your confidence rises. And the confusion, overwhelm, worry all begin to melt away like a bad, backordered-rabies-vaccine dream.

These are the moments I live for.

• VISN: https://www.veterinaryisn.com/
• Inventory Ally – Inventory Management Software: https://inventoryally.com/
• Free Resources: www.vetlogic.co/education