Achieving Inventory Precision and Operational Efficiency with a 90% Reduction in Cycle Count Duration
The client’s operational success, particularly in supporting hospitals and surgeons, is intrinsically tied to the efficiency of its field sales personnel, who oversee substantial inventories housed in vehicles or local distribution hubs such as hospitals. However, the existing manual and paper-based inventory reconciliation process, known internally as the "Cycle Count," was highly labor-intensive and necessitated extensive collaboration between operational teams and sales representatives. This outdated approach extended the audit cycle to an average of 60 days, severely limiting real-time inventory visibility. Moreover, the process sapped valuable sales resources from maintaining a customer-centric focus, diverting attention to operational endeavors.
To address these inefficiencies, Accellor engineered a comprehensive, user-centric, technology-driven solution using the robust capabilities of Salesforce Health Cloud to automate and enhance the field inventory audit process. The system enables inventory analysts to schedule targeted audits for specific sales representatives, who are then equipped to execute these counts seamlessly via a mobile application. The integration of barcode scanning technology has replaced manual data entry, significantly improving both accuracy and operational efficiency.
Furthermore, the application provides advanced functionalities for sorting, grouping, and reconciling stock directly within the app interface to ensure ease of use and streamlined operations. To accommodate heterogeneous operational environments, the system incorporates a delegation feature, empowering representatives to delegate audit responsibilities to trusted colleagues where necessary, ensuring operational continuity. The seamless offline syncing functionality ensures operability even in challenging environments with limited network connectivity, such as hospital basements, with automatic data reconciliation triggered upon network restoration.
The collaborative solution engineered by Accellor has precipitated a remarkable transformation, culminating in a dramatic reduction of the field audit process duration by nearly 90%, condensing a previously protracted 60-day ordeal into a streamlined 7-day cycle. This enhancement significantly bolstered operational efficiencies across the board. Notably, the mobile application has curtailed the time and effort required for accounting for field inventory and carrying out ancillary operational tasks by approximately 60%.
By eliminating inaccuracies and providing real-time visibility into inventory levels, the system has significantly mitigated costs associated with overstocking and inventory shortages. The collaboration between Accellor and the client not only resolved critical pain points but also demonstrated the transformative potential of innovative, data-driven strategies in enhancing operational excellence and delivering substantial value to stakeholders.
