Abstract:
Methods and systems for optimizing a product supply chain, including managing and maintaining an optimum product inventory with respect to stock levels, frequency of use, and replenishment intervals for products in a clinical setting. Actual or historical par data and simulation parameters, such as par types, delivery schedules, and/or vendor settings, are received or updated, and one or more simulations are performed. The product supply chain is optimized based on the results of the simulations.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/006,091 titled METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PAR OPTIMIZATION filed on Dec. 18, 2007, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     Aspects of the present invention are directed to methods and systems for managing point-of-use par levels. Specifically, aspects of the present invention are directed to optimizing a product supply chain, including managing and maintaining an optimum product inventory with respect to stock levels, frequency of use, and replenishment intervals for products in a clinical setting. 
     2. Background of the Related Art 
     One problem that exists in the art today is that there is no consistent or sufficient method and system for point-of-use entities, such as hospitals, to effectively manage their inventories of point-of-use products, including preventing over- and/or under-stocking of specific products and ensuring optimal delivery schedules and/or product quantities. Further, there is no sufficient method and system for effective inventory management of point-of-use locations, such as emergency rooms or nursing stations, which house a number of point-of-use products. In addition, although many of these entities have inventory data available, they do not have the inventory expertise and/or the analytical capability to obtain the optimum par levels, delivery schedules, and/or delivery quantities. 
     Yet another problem in the art today is that there is currently no sufficient method and system for a consumption-driven approach to the supply chain to ensure a stable demand pattern and inventory management environment. There exists no sufficient method and system today that allows point-of-use entities to optimize internal delivery costs for various products or point-of-use locations. 
     In addition, there currently exists no sufficient simulation tool that would allow a point-of-use entity to implement various strategies or scenarios of product use for setting optimal product par levels, optimal delivery schedules, and/or product quantities, nor is there a sufficient simulation tool that would allow a point-of-use entity to select and implement a specific strategy/scenario. 
     There remains a need in the art, therefore, for methods and systems that ensure effective management of point-of-use products, including preventing over- and/or under-stocking of specific products, and optimal delivery schedules and/or product delivery quantities. There is yet another unmet need in the art for effective inventory management of points-of-use, such as emergency rooms or nursing stations, which house a number of point-of-use products. There is a further unmet need in the art for methods and systems that implement high-level inventory expertise and/or analytical capabilities to obtain optimum point-of-use parameters, such as par levels, delivery schedules, and/or delivery quantities. There is yet a further unmet need in the art for a consumption-driven approach to the supply chain that ensures a stable demand pattern and inventory management environment. There is yet a further unmet need in the art for methods and systems that allow point-of-use entities to optimize internal delivery costs for various products or point-of-use locations. There is a further unmet need in the art for a simulation tool that allows point-of-use entities to implement various strategies or scenarios of product use for setting optimal product par levels, optimal delivery schedules, and/or product quantities, and that allows a point-of-use entity to select and implement a specific strategy. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention addresses the above identified needs, as well as others, via methods and systems that ensure effective management of point-of-use products, including preventing over- or under-stocking of specific products, and optimal delivery schedules, and/or product delivery quantities. In one aspect, the present invention provides effective inventory management of point-of-use locations, such as emergency rooms and nursing stations, which house a number of point-of-use products. Further, the present invention provides a method and system that implement high-level inventory expertise and/or analytical capabilities to provide optimum point-of-use parameters, such as par levels, delivery schedules and/or product delivery quantities. In accordance with one aspect, the present invention allows point-of-use entities to optimize internal delivery costs for various products or point-of-use locations. The method and system of the present invention provide a consumption-driven approach to the supply chain that ensures a stable demand pattern and inventory management environment. Moreover, aspects of the present invention provide a simulation tool that allows point-of-use entities to implement various strategies or scenarios of product use for setting optimal point-of-use parameters, such as product par levels, delivery schedules, and/or product quantities, and that allow a point-of-use entity to select and implement a specific strategy. 
     Additional advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or upon learning by practice of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The features of the invention will be more readily understood with reference to the following description and the attached drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an example of the open system architecture of the present invention, for use in accordance with aspects of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows an exemplary flowchart of a method for providing access to establishing optimal product par levels, optimal delivery schedules, and/or product quantities in accordance with an aspects of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 3A-3D  show exemplary Graphic User Interface (GUI) screens of various aspects of the method and system for par optimization, in accordance with aspects of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 4A-4H  show exemplary simulation results in the form of report summaries, in accordance with aspects of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  presents an exemplary system diagram of various hardware components and other features, for use in accordance with an aspect of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 6  is a block diagram of various exemplary system components, in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , therein shown is an example of an open system architecture  100 , for use in accordance with aspects of the present invention. Data repository (e.g., database)  110  stores actual historical inventory data for at least one point-of-use entity. The data is input into Simulation Tool  130 , which, upon changing various simulation parameters  120 , produces various inventory scenarios  140 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , therein shown is an exemplary flowchart for a method for par optimization, in accordance with aspects of the present invention. Actual or historical par data for an entity is received  210 . A date range for the simulation is selected, and the par data is formatted, if needed,  220 . Simulation parameters, such as par types, delivery schedules, and/or vendor settings, are set/updated  230 . The simulation is conducted  240 . The results for the scenario are output  250 . The parameters are updated and the simulation re-run  260  as appropriate. An optimal scenario is selected  270 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 3A-3D , therein shown are exemplary Graphic User Interface (GUI) screens in accordance with various aspects of the methods and systems for par optimization of the present invention.  FIG. 3A  shows a GUI screen for importing par data from an end-user (interchangeably also referred to herein as a point-of-use entity), such as a medical clinic or hospital. The imported par data may include, for example, types of products used, inventory settings for each product at each relevant location, and a transaction history for each location. The imported par data is formatted, and a date range is set  302  (e.g., three months), such that any spikes or other unusual situations, for example holidays, may be accounted for. 
     The imported data may be obtained manually, via an automated medication and supply management system, such as Cardinal Health&#39;s Pyxis® dispensing machine, or by any other available means at the point-of-use. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that when precise data, such as the data obtained via a Pyxis® dispensing machine on, for example, exact quantities of supplies available, exact replenishment quantities and times, approximated data for these, and/or other parameters may be used. Thus, manual data, for example, may be formatted to approximate Pyxis® data, via the “Demand Logic” button  304 . 
     The data may be imported, for example, by selecting the “Import Data from Par Database” button  306 . Another parameter that may be selected, for example, is A, B, and C cutoffs  312 . Each point-of-use entity (e.g., a hospital) has a number of point-of-use locations, such as delivery rooms, nursing stations, operating rooms, and emergency rooms, each of which may be assigned a cutoff  312 , e.g., A, B or C, which regulates the number of deliveries to be made to each location. For example, if 20% of the locations have the most delivery lines, these may be designated as locations type A, while the locations with the least delivery lines may be designated as type C. The number and values of the cutoffs  312  may vary. 
     Referring again to  FIG. 3A , par settings and/or limits may be saved, exported, modified (e.g., in a spreadsheet file, such as Microsoft Excel®) and/or imported back in by selecting buttons  322 . In addition, schedules may be saved, exported, modified (e.g., in a spreadsheet file, such as Microsoft Excel®) and/or imported back in by selecting buttons  320 . In one aspect, these parameters may be maximum available quantity and reorder point for a given item. 
     In accordance with one aspect, the available par type  314  settings may include: (1) current settings; (2) multiple of largest single day use; (3) Economic Order Quantity (EOQ); (4) saved file; and (5) multiple (type ( 2 )) for critical locations, and EOQ (type ( 3 )) for all others. In one aspect, type ( 1 ), current settings, is the setting currently used by the end user, e.g., the maximum number of items currently maintained, and the point at which an item is reordered. Type ( 2 ), multiple of the largest single day use, may be selected when the desired par is a multiple of the largest single day use during the selected period. For example, if the largest single day use is five boxes of band aids, the maximum number may be a multiple of that (e.g., 4×5=20 boxes of band aids), with a reorder being made when the number of boxes falls below another multiple (e.g., 2×5=10 boxes). Type ( 3 ), EOQ, may be selected when the desired par is a predetermined level. For example, for a given item, the item will be available 99% of the time when needed; however, the in-stock inventory and the number of placed items are minimized in order to minimize the costs of ordering the item. Thus, a predetermined level of service may be maintained, while costs are minimized. Type ( 4 ), saved file, may be selected when the desired par is read from a saved or input file with customized settings. For example, type ( 2 ) par setting may be exported into a file (e.g., a spreadsheet file, such as a Microsoft Excel® file) via the “Export Par” button  322   a , and changes may be made into that file to modify the settings. The modified (or any other desired custom file) may be imported via the “Import Par” button  322   b . Type ( 5 ) is a combination of types ( 2 ) and ( 3 ), such that type ( 2 ) may be used in critical locations (e.g., emergency room) and type ( 3 ) may be used in non-critical locations (e.g., dermatology department). 
     In addition to setting different par types, aspects of the present invention also provide for setting physical limits via, for example, the “Use Physical Limit?” selection box  324 , as shown in  FIG. 3A . For example, some items may be limited to a certain quantity, due to legal or other requirements, such as size of the item. The limit may be selected via the “Limit Type” pull-down menu  316 . In accordance with one aspect, there may be several limit types, including: (1) no more that the currently available quantity; (2) average daily use quantity times a given number of days; and (3) saved or input from file. 
     In accordance with one aspect, the delivery schedule or delivery days per week may be selected or updated via, for example, the “Set Location Schedule” button  326  and MaxDays selection box  318 , as shown in  FIG. 3A , and further as shown in more detail in  FIG. 3C . For example, if a delivery schedule for an end user is currently seven days per week, and the end user selects five days as the maximum number of delivery days per week, upon entry of the number  5  in the “MaxDays” selection box  318  and selection of the “Suggested Schedule” button  328 , the system assigns a 5-day delivery schedule for the end user. Additionally, the system assigns a schedule for each point-of-use location (interchangeably also referred to herein as a par location), as shown in  FIG. 3C . Based on the number of days selected and the ABC cutoff setting  330  shown in  FIG. 3C  for each location, the present invention may assign a specific number of days. For example, locations type A may have deliveries 5 days a week, locations type B—4 days, and locations type C—3 or fewer days a week. The schedule may likewise be set for an entire point-of-use entity (e.g., hospital) or for each par location within the entity. The assigned schedule may then be manually updated, for example, by changing the values shown in  FIG. 3C . The schedule may also be exported and/or imported, such as, via the “Export Sched”  320   b  and “Import Sched”  320   a  buttons shown in  FIG. 3A . 
     Referring again to  FIG. 3A , the vendor settings may be modified via the “Modify Vendor Settings” button  308 , as shown in more detain in  FIG. 3B .  FIG. 3B , in accordance with one aspect, shows a list of all available vendors for all products. Selectable parameters for the vendor settings may include, for example, the lead time  340  (e.g., in days) and whether or not a specific vendor is part of the Value Link  342  (e.g., a different customer distribution or other agreement) program. 
     In accordance with one aspect, the selected or updated data may be prepared for simulation via the “Prepare Simulation Data” button  344 , as shown in  FIG. 3A , for example. An example of a running simulation for a 90-day period of time is shown in  FIG. 3F . Chart  390  in  FIG. 3D  shows the number of stockouts per day for the 90-day period. Chart  392  shows the value of inventory (in dollars) per day for the 90-day period. Chart  394  shows the number of point-of-use demand lines per day, and chart  396  shows the reordered lines per day for the 90-day period. 
     Referring again to  FIG. 3A , an end user is provided with options for updating parameters  352  and re-running the simulation. For example, based on the summary reports from the previous simulation, an end user may identify stockouts  350  and increase the inventory for the relevant items. Alternatively, or in addition, any other available parameter, e.g. delivery schedules  328 , may be updated, and the simulation may be re-run to determine the effect of the changes. 
     Exemplary simulation results are shown in  FIGS. 4A-4H , in accordance with one aspect.  FIG. 4A  shows the results of the simulation for an entire hospital. As shown in  FIG. 4A , for example, the average inventory value  402  for the selected 90-day period is $76,000, the minimum  404  being $66,000, the maximum  406  being $83,000. The service level  410  is shown as being at 100%. The product value per replenishment line  412  is $53.33. This indicator shows the average value of the product each time an order was placed during the 90-day period. The point-of-use demand lines  414 , replenishment order lines  416 , and other simulation results are also shown. Additional exemplary summary simulation reports may include the results plotted by day, as shown in  FIG. 4B ; the last run simulation versus a baseline scenario, as shown in  FIG. 4C ; summary statistics for all par types, as shown in  FIG. 4D ; detailed results for each par type, as shown in  FIG. 4E ; chart summaries of par types, as shown in  FIG. 4F ; par location totals, as shown in  FIG. 4G ; and summary totals for each vendor, as shown in  FIG. 4H . The simulation may be performed for an entire entity, such as a hospital, or for one or more selected par locations within the entity. 
     Aspects of the present invention may be implemented using hardware, software, or a combination thereof and may be implemented in one or more computer systems or other processing systems. In one aspect, the invention is directed toward one or more computer systems capable of carrying out the functionality described herein. An example of such a computer system  500  is shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     Computer system  500  includes one or more processors, such as processor  504 . The processor  504  is connected to a communication infrastructure  506  (e.g., a communications bus, cross-over bar, or network). Various software aspects are described in terms of this exemplary computer system. After reading this description, it will become apparent to a person skilled in the relevant art(s) how to implement the invention using other computer systems and/or architectures. 
     Computer system  500  can include a display interface  502  that forwards graphics, text, and other data from the communication infrastructure  506  (or from a frame buffer not shown) for display on a display unit  530 . Computer system  500  also includes a main memory  508 , preferably random access memory (RAM), and may also include a secondary memory  510 . The secondary memory  510  may include, for example, a hard disk drive  512  and/or a removable storage drive  514 , representing a floppy disk drive, a magnetic tape drive, an optical disk drive, etc. The removable storage drive  514  reads from and/or writes to a removable storage unit  518  in a well-known manner. Removable storage unit  518 , represents a floppy disk, magnetic tape, optical disk, etc., which is read by and written to removable storage drive  514 . As will be appreciated, the removable storage unit  518  includes a computer usable storage medium having stored therein computer software and/or data. 
     In alternative aspects, secondary memory  510  may include other similar devices for allowing computer programs or other instructions to be loaded into computer system  500 . Such devices may include, for example, a removable storage unit  522  and an interface  520 . Examples of such may include a program cartridge and cartridge interface (such as that found in video game devices), a removable memory chip (such as an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), or programmable read only memory (PROM)) and associated socket, and other removable storage units  522  and interfaces  520 , which allow software and data to be transferred from the removable storage unit  522  to computer system  500 . 
     Computer system  500  may also include a communications interface  524 . Communications interface  524  allows software and data to be transferred between computer system  500  and external devices. Examples of communications interface  524  may include a modem, a network interface (such as an Ethernet card), a communications port, a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) slot and card, etc. Software and data transferred via communications interface  524  are in the form of signals  528 , which may be electronic, electromagnetic, optical or other signals capable of being received by communications interface  524 . These signals  528  are provided to communications interface  524  via a communications path (e.g., channel)  526 . This path  526  carries signals  528  and may be implemented using wire or cable, fiber optics, a telephone line, a cellular link, a radio frequency (RF) link and/or other communications channels. In this document, the terms “computer program medium” and “computer usable medium” are used to refer generally to media such as a removable storage drive  580 , a hard disk installed in hard disk drive  570 , and signals  528 . These computer program products provide software to the computer system  500 . The invention is directed to such computer program products. 
     Computer programs (also referred to as computer control logic) are stored in main memory  508  and/or secondary memory  510 . Computer programs may also be received via communications interface  524 . Such computer programs, when executed, enable the computer system  500  to perform the features of the present invention, as discussed herein. In particular, the computer programs, when executed, enable the processor  510  to perform the features of the present invention. Accordingly, such computer programs represent controllers of the computer system  500 . 
     In an aspect where the invention is implemented using software, the software may be stored in a computer program product and loaded into computer system  500  using removable storage drive  514 , hard drive  512 , or communications interface  520 . The control logic (software), when executed by the processor  504 , causes the processor  504  to perform the functions of the invention as described herein. In another aspect, the invention is implemented primarily in hardware using, for example, hardware components, such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs). Implementation of the hardware state machine so as to perform the functions described herein will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s). 
     In yet another aspect, the invention is implemented using a combination of both hardware and software. 
       FIG. 6  shows a communication system  600  usable in accordance with aspects of the present invention. The communication system  600  includes one or more accessors  660 ,  662  (also referred to interchangeably herein as one or more “users”) and one or more terminals  642 ,  666 . In one aspect, data for use in accordance with aspects of the present invention is, for example, input and/or accessed by accessors  660 ,  664  via terminals  642 ,  666 , such as personal computers (PCs), minicomputers, mainframe computers, microcomputers, telephonic devices, or wireless devices, such as personal digital assistants (“PDAs”) or a hand-held wireless devices coupled to a server  643 , such as a PC, minicomputer, mainframe computer, microcomputer, or other device having a processor and a repository for data and/or connection to a repository for data, via, for example, a network  644 , such as the Internet or an intranet, and couplings  645 ,  646 ,  664 . The couplings  645 ,  646 ,  664  include, for example, wired, wireless, or fiberoptic links. In another aspect, the method and system of the present invention operate in a stand-alone environment, such as on a single terminal. 
     Although the methods and systems of the present invention have been described for entities such as hospitals and medical clinics, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that they are equally applicable to other entities, such as grocery stores, or other entities that stock a plurality of point-of-use products. 
     While the present invention has been described in connection with various aspects, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that variations and modifications of the aspects described above may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Other aspects will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the description or from a practice of the invention disclosed herein.