Item Formulary/No Specials

We are looking at the possiblity of removing the ability to order Specials for departments that typically don't (or shouldn't) order specials. They should be using the items we have loaded in the item master.

Is anyone currently doing this? We are looking for how you went about it, how it's going and if you have any suggestions - good and bad - if we choose to go down this road.

We use RQC for all of our supply orders - capital requests and service agreement requests are handled outside of Lawson. So we are really just talking about supplies.

Thanks!

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Comments

todd-brown

How do they order specials now?

pcesarz

They use RQC.

unknown

I have been asked how we would do it, but we have never come close to implementing it.

RQ04 controls the RQC rights. We would "simply" leave Special/Service blank for those users. We had projected that we would remove the rights from all non-approvers. Leaving the managers rights for any emergencies that came up. The thought being that if they had to go to their managers, it would be a pain point on their side and increase compliance.

Certain departments - Marketing and Community Relations - are nothing BUT specials other than Staples. They would retain rights. Very likely the Admin secretaries. But the Unit Secretaries could be turned off, leaving the Nurse Managers on. This would at least create a pilot program to see if it is maintainable.

kim-gonzalez

You can remove the Special/Service opton from the drop down menu in RQC, then they would not have access to it. We did that for Punchout until we get ready to implement it.

lxiong3

Pam, we turned on the validation option in the RQC XML to assist requesters, as the item may already exist in the IM. This option validates what they enter into the "Item" section of the Special and pulls back the results if there are any matches.

pcesarz

Thanks for all the info!

We also have the validation option on. However, many requesters like to hit the 'back' button and add the special anyway. Others enter specials instead of using the search option, and when they don't enter the item number correctly, they assume it isn't in the item file.

We are starting to put a lot of effort into standardizing product so every clinic/hospital is using the same item. That's part of what started the discussions here.

unknown

We also use the WARN option, and yes, they can bypass with the 'back' button. Some hospitals take away the option to even enter Specials, once they have standardized all of their supply selections in their non-stock build in the Item Master.

todd-brown

Speaking of non-stock items in Item Master, do you all have stock and non-stock items in the same IC12 location or do you have a separate non-stock location?

pcesarz

For one of our hospitals, stock and non-stock are in the same IC12 location. The other two hospitals have separate locations because their stock is technically supposed to be a 'stat store room'.

kim-gonzalez

We do not have Inventory any more, but when we did it was all in one IC12 location. We are vendor direct now with all non-stock items.

unknown

JIT nonstock here. The Central Supply departments are inventory.

unknown

We have both inventory and non stock in the same IC12 location.

com_2010feb_proactive.pdf

unknown

Checking back in to see if anyone has successfully limited specials by GL. Limiting by requestor is nice and would help but is not the complete solution we would like to have. Is the only option through IPA or are there options within Lawson I'm not aware of.

unknown

What do you mean limit by GL? You can put in LSF or turn off an account for an accounting unit. It has not been effective for us in the past, the users just put in a different account when they get the error.

unknown

Our first thought was to only allow certain requestors the ability to order specials. This would be for certain GL's that are for items that we would never add to our item master. Repairs would be an example.

unknown

All the comments have been very helpful. We are also looking at possibly not allowing specials. I am interested to know how many years of data you keep in your item masters. We currently have 6 years and looking at a cleanup.

unknown

We locked down our supply & implant GL's with xtype about 6 weeks ago with a design studio mod in RQ10. Once conditions are met with the entry of the sub account, users are brought to a hard stop with a pop up telling them to contact our VA Director. Too early to say if successful or not but it has certainly been a strain on our resources. We did a mass load of around 6000 previously ordered xtype items ahead of the mod & intend to do another 8000 with the thinking of "Get everything in the item master, then clean it up". In the meantime we are very reactionary.

The mod itself has worked well. We have a small number of users exempt from the mod who can enter approved xtype orders under a locked down GL. Also exempt are cost centers for inventory in the event a sub for a stock item needs to be ordered 1x as xtype. We have caught 1 user who simply hunted until she found a GL she could use. We knew going in this was a possibility.

We go to RQC in late April. Not exactly sure how the mod will be done there; we have consultants working on that now.

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