Welcome to BlueBin's Operations Focus newsletter! We're excited to bring you insights on the intersection of supply chain operations, patient care, and staff safety. This newsletter will provide valuable analysis and strategies to help you navigate the challenges of maintaining Lean Six Sigma 2.0-level operations in your healthcare supply chains. Stay tuned for expert insights and actionable tips to strengthen your decision-making for a high-speed, accurate, and digitized operational future!
Industry News
Learn what's happening in the healthcare operations.
Hospitals that adopt the not-for-profit Institute for Healthcare Optimization's proven patient-flow optimization methods can cut overcrowding, improve safety, ease staff strain, and save hundreds of millions annually—yet most systems still resist, leaving major operational and financial gains untapped.
Hospitals can’t solve throughput challenges by focusing only on internal efficiency—success comes from building coordinated post-acute and community care networks that free up beds, shorten length of stay, and improve both margins and patient outcomes.
UCHealth’s BlueBin partnership transformed supply chain operations by replacing outdated systems with real-time Kanban and analytics. This cut dead stock by 16%, boosted utilization above 90%, nearly eliminated stockouts, and unlocking nearly $1M in savings.
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Healthcare Organizations now have access to real-time disruption signals from NOAA, NASA, USGS, and openFDA. But data alone isn’t enough.
This guide shows how to fuse those feeds with clinical context—mapping SKUs to CPT codes, automating substitutions, and protecting procedures before impact hits.
Explore the framework that’s helping hospitals gain a 72-hour lead time on disruption.
Note: BlueBin’s mission is to transform healthcare by enhancing the supply chain process, ensuring that patient care staff have the right supplies at the right time and maximizing efficiency. In line with this mission, BlueBin advocates for and supports the AHRMM Keys for Supply Chain Excellence. By focusing on improving inventory management, optimizing supply chain processes, and minimizing waste, we aim to reduce costs, accelerate operational efficiency, and enhance clinical outcomes throughout the continuum of care. The AHRMM Keys for Supply Chain Excellence serve as key performance indicators (KPIs), establishing essential standards for supply chain management in the healthcare field. Learn more about the AHRMM Keys.
Field report summary: Physician leaders who engage in Lean methods such as Kanban play a pivotal role in reducing waste and costs while improving patient care. With engaged teams, these low-cost systems can deliver lasting supply chain benefits across emergency departments and beyond.
Did you know? BlueBin empowers physician leaders to apply Lean methods like Kanban by providing a low-cost, automated two-bin replenishment system with real-time analytics, enabling engaged care teams to reduce waste, cut costs, and sustain reliable supply chain performance across departments.
Operations Tip
Proactive Velocity Adjustments
BlueBin’s velocity reporting doesn’t just flag fast-moving items—it continuously recalculates suggested bin quantities based on actual scan patterns and lead times. This allows managers to fine-tune par levels before stockouts happen, trim excess inventory, and keep supply flow aligned with real clinical demand.
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