During COVID, Stamford Health built inventory dashboards that updated multiple times per day to track supplies arriving in bulk quantities at unpredictable intervals from new vendors. This real-time visibility transformed clinical leadership's perception of supply chain from back-office function to operational intelligence center.
Shenelle Padarat-Singh, Director of Strategic Sourcing, explains how her transition from managing supply chain information systems to leading sourcing operations revealed why the data team's seemingly "annoying" requests for complete item details matter: one missing packaging specification triggers errors in receiving, throws off inventory counts, breaks purchase order-to-invoice matching, and ultimately creates finance reconciliation issues. On supplier relationships, she's direct about why quarterly business reviews and weekly check-ins with key vendors create the communication channels that make same-day approvals and 8am Saturday deliveries possible when a Friday 6pm OR request hits.
Topics discussed:
Building COVID inventory dashboards with multiple daily updates to track unpredictable bulk deliveries from new vendor sources
Understanding how incomplete item data cascades through receiving, inventory counts, purchase order matching, and finance reconciliation processes
Implementing 360-degree product transition frameworks that evaluate usage patterns, clinical needs, reimbursement rates, and standardization opportunities
Conducting quarterly business reviews with key suppliers to establish communication channels for urgent same-day procurement requests
Presenting supply chain analytics in formats meaningful to clinical audiences to gain stakeholder support for product transitions
Managing tariff impacts through supplier negotiations that identify alternatives and offset cost increases with savings opportunities
Navigating healthcare supply chain acquisition integrations across different geographic locations, systems, and operational standardization requirements
Developing career resilience for healthcare supply chain by mastering ambiguity and mid-task priority shifts during operational interruptions
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