The essential materiel manager

Pressures to control supply costs in hospitals will continue to escalate. As materiel managers we must become increasingly involved in analyzing and controlling these costs. This increased involvement will require significantly more cost and usage information, especially for non-stock items. It will also require skills to manipulate this information after it is obtained, and to perform meaningful analysis relating to the hospital's financial statements. Materiel managers must respond to these demands now. Training in hospital accounting, financial analysis and automation can be obtained from almost any community college. Additionally, most hospital CFOs will readily discuss these issues and can provide insight into the factors important in their respective institutions. By focusing on those factors which truly affect overall supply cost and inventory values, the materiel manager can assume one of the most significant management roles within the hospital. This role may include promotion into hospital administration or may simply include the expansion of the materiel manager's responsibilities. In either case, managers who assume responsibility for overall supply costs and who exhibit the skills needed to provide real answers will have carved themselves an essential niche in their institutions.