We'll Handle Your Linen Inventory Management, So You Don't Have to
Whether in a hospital, an outpatient department, or an entire health system, mismanagement of your linen and laundry inventory can have a ripple effect throughout your facility. If you’re constantly purchasing scrub replacements, seeing your linen invoices fluctuate, or retaining a surplus of a specific item (like an oversized gown), you may need our help.
A proper medical linen inventory management process can prevent your laundry costs from spiraling out of control.
While many linen providers focus on a per-piece cost, linen management is much more important to help contain your overall costs. Controlling your budget ultimately ensures you are getting the most value from your laundry service provider. After all, a lower per-piece price may not mean a lower overall invoice, especially if you can’t count on what that invoice’s amount is any one given billing cycle.
Medical Linen Inventory Management: How It Works
Linen inventory may not be your top priority, but it is ours – and we’re here to help medical practices avoid mismanaged inventory. Here’s how:
At the Start of the Program
- Your linen inventory level is based on your needs: your patient volume. Managing your linen program starts with a clear picture of your case load and patient need. This informs what and how much linen you need on a regular basis to start the program, including staff uniforms. This ensures you have enough linen to handle patient variations without running out or wasting money on too much extra.
- We ensure the price you pay is fair and reasonable. You never have to worry about unexpected changes in pricing.
- You can expect flat rate billing. You get billed based on what you say you need in inventory, not some complex usage formula. This way, you can easily budget, as you can expect to have the same invoice every billing cycle.
On a Regular Basis
- Your Customer Advocate provides on-site inventory management. As part of your linen service, you get a dedicated ImageFIRST representative who delivers clean linen to your medical facility, organizes your shelf, and picks up soiled linen. They record what they deliver, ensuring your inventory is brought back to the level you say you need.
- You get staff accountability. Scrub and lab coat customers get automated tracking for accurate reporting, thanks to the RFID chips in every apparel.
- You receive transparent invoices. Your bill reflects three key elements for effective management: 1) what linen you have on site, 2) how much you used, and 3) your needs-based inventory These give you the information you need to optimize your medical linen inventory on an ongoing basis.
Additional Quarterly Monitoring
- You benefit from an extra set of eyes with a Quarterly Needs Assessment. Once a quarter, your ImageFIRST Service Manager will review your inventory, assess your satisfaction with our services, and evaluate your dedicated Customer Advocate. During this review, we verify your actual inventory with your needs-based inventory level and look at your historical linen use to make recommendations. This extra checkpoint ensures you have enough for your patients without carrying too much.
What About those Unexpected Busy Days?
Does your hospital or medical facility ever run out of linens?
Your inventory level should meet your needs regularly. But sometimes, an unexpectedly busy day can happen.
With our Same-Day Linen Rescue, simply contact your Customer Advocate by 10:00 a.m. if you anticipate not making it through the day with your on-hand inventory, we'll deliver the medical linens necessary to make sure you finish the day with enough supply.
An Entire Service Team for Your Facility’s Linen & Laundry Management
You and your staff need to focus on your patients, not on hunting down linens or deciphering invoices. That’s why all our linen programs include an entire team to help you. Team members include:
- Customer Advocate. This dedicated ImageFIRST representative is much more than a delivery driver. He or she acts as an extension of your team, organizing your linen shelves and keeping an eye on your inventory. Reach out to them at any time if you need something.
- Service Manager. This team member helps the Customer Advocate on an ongoing basis and conducts a Quarterly Needs Assessment as a second checkpoint.
- General Manager. This team member oversees the entire operation. He or she will be available if you need them.
- Customer Care Center. Our wonderful team may sit in our corporate office, but they are avid team players and support your local service team with anything you need.
Get direct access to your entire service team 24/7 via a downloadable smartphone app.
Included in All ImageFIRST Programs
The good news is you automatically get all these medical linen inventory management services with any ImageFIRST program you select. Better contain your inventory costs thanks to effective linen and laundry management for your hospital or outpatient department.
Contact us to find out more about the benefits of a fully managed linen and laundry program, including inventory management for your hospital, outpatient facility, surgery center, or health system.