The ideal aged care facility runs like a well-oiled machine, with staff members all doing their bit. When every part of your facility is properly taken care of, your service will go above and beyond compliance, with staff free to provide high quality care to residents.
In this article, we’ll look at best practice procurement and why it’s an essential part of excellent aged care services.
What is Best Practice Procurement?
Many people see aged care procurement as a shopping list exercise, based on immediate needs, instead of looking at the bigger picture of long term efficiency. We see procurement through the lens of best practice, as a holistic and proactive function that can increase efficiency and improve your bottom line.
Best practice procurement management saves time and reduces unnecessary costs by actively managing needs as they change. Instead of automatically fulfilling routine orders, usage is monitored and adjusted continuously.
The Compliance Benefits of Best Practice Procurement
Reliable and uninterrupted supply of essential hygiene consumables helps your facility to fully adhere to industry standards including:
- Aged Care Standard 3 – infection control precautions
- Aged Care Standard 4 – safe and secure equipment
- Aged Care Standard 5 – safe and clean environment
Beyond meeting compliance requirements, this ensures resident safety and protects the reputation of the facility by maintaining high standards of cleanliness and infection control.
The risks from pathogens and infection outbreaks in aged care means that reliable procurement is essential to protect your residents, staff members, business, and reputation. Getting your procurement sorted properly makes for a stress-free facility that runs smoother than ever!
Time-Saving Strategies from Best Practice Procurement
You can streamline the procurement process by reducing your number of suppliers and leveraging automation and technology to minimise manual tasks. With best practice procurement, your staff won’t have to waste valuable time filling out and chasing up multiple orders for different suppliers.
Having all your equipment and chemicals delivered by a single supplier – on a tailored plan that fits your facility’s exact needs – frees up more time for direct care and the things that matter most. At Veridia, we look beyond the cleaning cupboard at the impacts on your business. That’s why we promote best practice procurement – because without it, inefficiencies in time and costs ripple through every aspect of your business.
A reactive, needs-based ordering model prevents proactive planning, wasting time that could be better spent with your residents. In contrast, a strategic procurement approach optimises resources, reducing waste and enhancing operational efficiency.
Cost Reduction Techniques in Best Practice Procurement
Best practice aged care procurement also helps reduce overheads through bulk purchasing, making better deals available. With a tailored plan that accounts for your exact needs, your facility can reduce wastage and optimise resource use.
Wongaburra Garden Settlement’s partnership with Veridia demonstrates how a tailored procurement plan can significantly cut costs and streamline operations.
By switching from five suppliers to a single fixed-fee contract, Wongaburra cut admin work, and saved money on laundry and paper costs. Jo from Wongaburra said:
“They were offering me a 30% saving on my laundry costs. That was a big call. I didn’t know if they could really do it. In our paper goods alone, we’ve managed to save over $3000 per month. We’re very happy.”
Tailored Aged Care Procurement Solutions
At Veridia, we understand that nothing fits as well as something tailored specifically to you – just like a perfectly altered suit. While a general procurement solution may work for some facilities, a tailored approach ensures your operations run more smoothly, efficiently, and cost-effectively.
We tailor your procurement by simplifying the process and consolidating everything into one streamlined system. We also focus on the true cost of procurement – the hidden expenses beyond the invoice total, including the time and resources spent on managing multiple orders. By optimising your procurement strategy, we help you regain valuable time and redirect resources where they matter most: to direct care.
Ready to simplify procurement and unlock real savings? Call us on 1300 228 222 or contact us online to discuss a solution tailored to your facility’s unique needs or ask us about our complimentary Site Survey!
