Minimum stock versus Reorder level

Henry Limula

Dear Participants

I was looking at the Job aid 403-Calculating Supplies, and I note the following

1. Lead Time : Minimum stock you must have on hand to support testing until additional supplies are received. When this quantity is reached, you must reorder.
2. This means that Lead Time = Reorder Level
3. However, the common mistake we make is that we do not routinely do physical stock count, and end up doing periodic ordering, for example ordering every 3 months. This leads to us having stock outs, and/ wastage through expiries.
4. Let us share our experiences. How has it been in your facilities?

Daron Davies Atsu-Agbo Agboyie

So the taking of physical count gives you the actual amounts of consumables/reagents or supplies available. The three months average just estimate for us. The other advantages of physical stock counts aside getting the actual amounts of supplies available is that its offers one the opportunity to able to physical state of the consumables/reagents as well as the expiration dates hence the practice of first-in first-out

Clement Aryee

There is saying that seeing is believing. Like Thomas said to Jesus Christ unless I see the wounds in your palm and your side I will not believe so must laboratorians do with physical stock taking. It gives much assurance than the numbers on the tally cards. A box(es) on the shelves could be empty boxes that could lead to assumptions that also lead to stockouts.