Inventory Nation with Nicole Clausen - All Things Inventory Management for Veterinary Professionals Nicole Clausen, CSSGB

What is it about “back to school” season? It just feels like a great time to start fresh! And if you’re a veterinary inventory manager, that probably means taking control of unnecessary guesswork – and stress! Nicole Clausen, host of The Inventory Nation Podcast, gets us started with a strategy for reliably managing reorder points. You’ll learn about tried-and-true methods for keeping your inventory operation running smoothly, with some help from things like reorder tags, bins, or shelf labels. Find out about simple – but game-changing – ways to establish best practices and preserve your peace of mind. Much of it comes down to what works best for your team’s culture and with the flow of your daily veterinary procedures. If you’re looking for a terrific step-by-step approach, consider trying Nicole’s Reorder Tag Magic. It’s an online course that walks you through how to implement various options, secure your team’s buy-in and ensure your system’s long-term success. (The course is only $9 and includes all kinds of videos, templates, and other amazing resources!) Managing the goods our practices consume and dispense is a never-ending job, but there are ways to ease that burden. Small measures make for big reasons to celebrate the support inventory managers provide their practice team and patients every single day! 


Are you up to date on everything Veterinary Care Logistics has to offer? Click here to learn about our 1:1 consulting and strategic services, online education, and certification options, and to keep up with Nicole’s upcoming programs!


You can also join the Inventory Strategy Network – our free virtual neighborhood for inventory managers and other veterinary professionals – by visiting this link.


Do you have any feedback or stories to share about what works (and doesn’t) in your practice? Nicole loves hearing from you, so please reach out to her @Instagram or via this email.
KEY QUOTES: 


“My only training as an inventory manager was: When you shake a bottle and it feels low, you order more. And I remember sitting there in the pharmacy and thinking, ‘But what does that actually mean?’ ” (Nicole)

“Figuring out ways to know when we’re low (on medications or supplies) and how to order easily and quickly can be so, so helpful.” (Nicole)

“We can’t run in-house lab work if we don’t have the proper equipment or supplies for that. So if we leave it up to our team to tell us when things are low, we’re playing somewhat of a dangerous game.” (Nicole)



“Think about what your order flags look like now … not only for your most commonly used items but for those items where we might use them only every one or two months but that are super-critical to our practices.” (Nicole)

“One of the things about inventory is that there’s never an endpoint ... It never stops. We always have to replenish. We’re always trying to make improvements and adjustments.” (Nicole)FOLLOW OR CONTACT US:
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SUMMARY: 
There it is: The dreaded “payment due in full at time of service” sign at your front desk. For many pet owners it can make the difference between seeking treatment and walking away. Sad, uncomfortable conversations about the financial bottom line are a huge cause of burnout for care providers, but it doesn’t have to be that way! Our special guest on this episode of Inventory Nation is sharing a systematic approach to tailoring a clear, flexible financial strategy that fits your particular practice’s values and resources.

Aimee St. Arnaud, practice owner and founder of Open Door Veterinary Collective, walks Host Nicole Clausen through a new way of tackling the realities of pet care costs and collaborating to create a win-win financially and emotionally. Her team offers both consultation and courses to help practices put in place practical tools to soften the biggest barrier to care. Clients and practices alike can benefit from Open Door’s step-by-step guidance around things like pay-over-time options that put the care pets need within the reach of clients on a budget. 

You’ll come away inspired to explore new online payment platforms, train team members to have frank (but supportive) conversations and put in place a plan that takes into consideration all the variables and modulates spectrum of care and pricing accordingly. It’s exciting stuff that can be transformational for practices struggling to find the balance between profitability and compassionate care in an inflationary world!
Curious to know more about what the Open Door Veterinary Collective is all about? You can find out about all their resources and partnerships at this link.
You can also join the Inventory Strategy Network – our free virtual neighborhood for inventory managers and other veterinary professionals – by visiting this link.
KEY QUOTES: 
“Telling clients that you can’t help them because they have no money is one of the leading causes of burnout in the vet profession.” (Aimee)“As many times as you have (the money conversation) it’s still heartbreaking. How can we build a bridge to make sure not only that patients are cared for but our teams feel cared for as well?” (Nicole)“Giving (clients) a wealth of options and resources to truly make it a collaboration feels very exciting to me because it’s not just a one-way conversation anymore.” (Nicole)“It takes less time to go over these plans with people and present this then it does to deal with when they can’t afford the care and they give a negative one-star review.” (Aimee)“As more practices try to do (pay-over-time) and it becomes the norm, it’s really going to help break this barrier to care.” (Aimee)ABOUT VCL:
Veterinary Care Logistics serves veterinarians and their teams who are frustrated that their current inventory system is not functioning correctly and are facing out of control inventory costs and improperly stocked hospitals. VCL helps veterinarians through inventory analysis, comprehensive step-by-step action plans, and thorough team member training. My clients experience great success and rave about my work because I roll up my sleeves and get dirty working with your hospital to improve your inventory as if it was my own hospital.
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On this jam-packed episode of Inventory Nation our Host Nicole Clausen is reminding us why we do what we do and how to answer that all-important question: Am I doing a good job? You’ll learn why it’s important to establish a baseline and how to put in place objective measures to assess the health and functionality of our inventory management systems. We don’t want to wear rose-colored glasses, for sure, but inventory managers also tend to be super-hard on themselves, which doesn’t help anyone! The goal is to acknowledge our impacts, celebrate the victories and put in place processes (like reorder tags or practice system software) that keep our practices running smoothly and profitably. Efficient inventory management pays real financial, practical and even emotional dividends for vets, technicians, support staff and – most of all – our patients! And if you’ve ever felt like you don’t quite know where you fit into your practice or the job seems thankless and overwhelming, we’ve got you! Nicole is sharing on this episode some wonderful affirmations that speak directly to inventory managers – the very specific challenges we face as well as the many reasons we have to recognize a job well done!
 
Don’t miss our upcoming FREE July 18th webinar. It’s all about how to keep your practice management system accurate, including Nicole’s processes and tips to maximize your software and therefore your valuable time! To register, just click this link.
 
You might also want to check out Vet Care Logistics’ new Reorder Tag Magic course. It’s your step-by-step guide to the process and lifetime access costs just $9. Learn more here.
 
Finally, stay tuned for our upcoming multi-part series focused on all things COGS – Cost of Goods. You won’t want to miss it!
 
Would you like to learn more about our Inventory 911 Toolkit, a step-by-step blueprint to help inventory managers optimize knowledge, strategy and confidence? Click here!



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Here’s a scenario you may have experienced (and stressed over): Your DVMs seem to want ALL the options on the shelves and right NOW! On this episode of Inventory Nation our host, Nicole Clausen, shares a systematic framework to help you navigate what’s already in stock, massage the flow of products and create ordering procedures to accommodate (but not over-provide for) the demands of your practice. For many care providers, an understandable (but unnecessary and unhelpful) scarcity mindset can overwhelm good planning. That’s where our job as analytical, well-informed inventory managers comes into play. We are able to explain the implications of carrying unpaid goods over long periods of time, the risks of expirations and tying up money that could better be used elsewhere. You’ll learn about steps to take and processes to put in place that will provide guardrails (and boundaries!) when you’re feeling pressured to make decisions that aren’t documented, data-backed or fully informed by the kinds of financial realities they don’t teach in vet school! If you’d like to learn more, Nicole offers an entire module to help inventory managers keep that delicate balance – between satisfying what the team wants with what the practice truly needs and can manage effectively – to the good of all, patients included!
It’s not too late to nominate yourself or someone you want to honor for Inventory Manager of the Year 2023! Just visit this link to find out lots more about how to submit your candidate (self-nominations welcome!) for well-deserved recognition as well as great gifts courtesy of our sponsors, Epicur Pharma and VetCove, and unlimited access to all of Nicole’s classes!
And stay tuned for Nicole’s upcoming July webinars, including content focused on keeping your inventory management system accurate and how to lower your COGs.
Would you like to learn more about Inventory 911 Toolkit, our step-by-step blueprint to help inventory managers optimize knowledge, strategy, and confidence? Click here!
You can also join the Inventory Strategy Network – our free virtual neighborhood for inventory managers and other veterinary professionals – by visiting this link.
FOLLOW OR CONTACT US:
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We’ve all experienced it – those unpredictable surges in demand that come out of nowhere and throw us totally off our game. On this episode of Inventory Nation, Host Nicole Clausen walks us through this unsettling scenario. More importantly, she’s giving us a methodical approach to figuring out why these spikes happen and how (with a little planning) we can stay ahead of the curve. Given how hard we work to keep our systems running smoothly and everything readily available for our teams – whenever and in whatever quantity they need – it can be very frustrating when a totally unforeseen, seemingly random run occurs. Suddenly a certain medication or critical supply has been completely depleted. The cupboard is bare. Talk about a stressful situation – one we all want to avoid! You’ll learn on this episode about three key questions to ask when navigating those big spikes and how to get buy-in from your team to help keep things on track. With just a little bit of detective work, some good communication and a flexible plan, your practice can adapt quickly and ride out the inevitable fluctuations in demand that can stress even the most organized and on-top-of-it inventory management systems. And remember: Grace is an important component of even the most “perfect” of office protocols and procedures. You can’t plan for everything, but you can at least learn some great strategies to help anticipate and manage through the storm!
 
It’s here! Inventory Manager Appreciation Day is on June 7th, so take a moment to celebrate you and all you do for the community! Please also visit this link to find out lots more about nominations (including self-nominations, which are encouraged) for our Inventory Manager of the Year Award. There will be not only well-deserved recognition but also great gifts courtesy our sponsors, Epicur Pharma and VetCove, and unlimited access to all of Nicole’s classes!
 
Have a funny story about a random demand surge that caught you off guard? Please share your experiences and top tips with Vet Care Logistics @Instagram, @Facebook or via our email.
 
Would you like to learn more about Inventory 911 Toolkit, our step-by-step blueprint to help inventory managers optimize knowledge, strategy and confidence? Click here!
 
You can also join the Inventory Strategy Network – our free virtual neighborhood for inventory managers and other veterinary professionals – by visiting this link.
FOLLOW OR CONTACT US:
Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Do you have an inventory management hero? Or maybe you’re the unsung hero? This episode of Inventory Nation introduces something brand new from Vet Care Logistics: Inventory Manager Appreciation Day, which this year takes place on June 7th and will also mark the opening of nominations for Inventory Manager of the Year! So stay tuned for accolades as well as exciting gifts for our honorees! Host Nicole Clausen is also giving us the run-down on her Top Tips for keeping your inventory systems running smoothly (and accurately). You’ll learn about simple, but powerful ways in which to work more effectively with your team to enable, monitor, assess and backstop data related to ordering, tracking and sharing. The savings to your practice can be significant and it’s great for team morale since – to paraphrase the bestselling self-help author Brene Brown – clear is kind! 


Hope these 11 strategies for bundling, recording and selling inventory inspire you to up your data accuracy game and if you put any of Nicole’s tips into practice, please let us know! We’re always tweaking systems and community feedback is a big part of evolving the methodology!
 
Don’t forget to visit Vet Care Logistics at this link for more information about upcoming events, like our new June 7th Inventory Manager Appreciation Day and award nominations!
 
Would you like to learn more about Inventory 911 Toolkit, our step-by-step blueprint to help inventory managers optimize knowledge, strategy and confidence? Click here!
 
You can also join the Inventory Strategy Network – our free virtual neighborhood for inventory managers and other veterinary professionals – by visiting this link.
FOLLOW OR CONTACT US:
Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram