Ep. 95 | Lessons I Learned the Hard Way as a Beginner Inventory Manager

How did our host, Nicole Clausen, come to be a thought leader for veterinary practices nationwide? On this episode of The Inventory Nation Podcast she shares with us her origin story and lessons learned on her professional journey from logistical overwhelm to veterinary clinic management mastery. We are learning about the “aha” moments and highly successful systems Nicole developed through trial and error, along with roadblocks we can all expect to encounter along the way. You’ll hear about Nicole’s Top 5 Inventory Gamechangers – practices that she initiated after hard-won lightbulb moments as an inventory management newbie. Don’t miss out on predictable speed bumps and things to remember as you take on this highly challenging – but equally rewarding – role. And remember: Your inventory management systems won’t be perfect right out of the gate. But you WILL reduce chaos and improve quality of life for everyone across your veterinary practice. So be kind to yourself, keep the faith and take notes from Nicole – someone who has been there and is ready to show you the way!

Also: Big news! Our Inventory System Deep Dive now offers six hours of RACE-approved continuing education (plus earn a Certificate of Veterinary Inventory Fundamentals) and our Certified Veterinary Inventory Professional Program includes 34 hours of RACE-CE.

KEY QUOTES: 

• “In those first days and weeks (in inventory management) I really struggled because I was brand new to the practice and … was truly coming into a blank slate where I had no idea what was going on.” (Nicole)

• “My brain works best when I have a full picture and I know all the information. I don’t really do well when I have to guess and hope for the best.” (Nicole)

• “Setting up re-order points was the first project that I tackled and it was the thing that moved the needle the most for me … even if I did have to make some iterations.” (Nicole)

• “The biggest benefit of setting up your inventory systems is just the level of clarity, confidence and predictability where we often have this low-level hum of chaos and uncertainty.” (Nicole)

• “As inventory managers we’re never going to be 100% perfect because there’s so many things out of our control. Supply issues. Back orders. We can try to anticipate, but we can’t predict everything.” (Nicole)

• “Remember that the reason we put all this time into setting up inventory systems is so that it’s easier, so that we spend less time and save money!” (Nicole)

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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