Ordering supplies on a schedule sends a routine demand signal to suppliers, said Molly Ehrlich, Vizient's consulting director of advisory solutions for supply chain operations.
She shared the following supply chain tip with Becker's ASC Review:
"This demand is aggregated with the supplier's other demand for that same item, allowing the supplier to forecast demand and have correct quantities in stock," she said. "Ordering when time permits and/or ordering random quantities sends a spiky demand signal to the supplier, who then may not be able to react to the order without extreme measures."