Gearing up for the 1990s

It would be difficult to address personnel issues in this article, due to the complexities inherent in staffing requirement. However, the approach discussed here is to keep systems simple yet controlled, and to make information available to reduce orientation and training time. By having many of the systems discussed in place, materiel management should be able to react quickly to the hospital's changing needs. In addition, controlling qualitative assets and measuring performance is accomplished, allowing feedback to administration from both a performance and a potential standpoint. By ensuring that the present system is working as efficiently as it was designed, and by having key indicators in place to monitor that performance, the foundations will be in place to react to changing demands on space, inventory investment, and staffing. Having the proper tools to react to these pressures in a professional manner will be necessary to ensure that the logistical systems meet the requirements of the institution as it approaches the 21st century.