Clinic decision guide · By the Modirify team
Material purchases increased: does that mean waste?
A higher purchasing bill does not establish waste. Prices may have risen, procedures may have increased, the case mix may have changed, or the clinic may have purchased ahead. Separate spending from quantities consumed, then compare the records with a physical count.
Separate three different figures
Purchasing value is the amount recorded for incoming materials. Expected consumption is an estimate derived from services and their components under the chosen model. Counted stock is what you physically find at the stocktake. Each answers a different question. A higher bill does not prove greater quantity, and a larger quantity does not prove use during the same period. A purchase invoice alone cannot explain material movements or establish anyone’s responsibility for waste.
Align units and the period
A pack containing 100 pieces is not a single piece. Incorrect conversion between packs and pieces can create an apparent discrepancy. Define the period and record opening balances, returns, damage and transfers between storage areas using the agreed process. If the count and the system snapshot come from different times, review movements between them before comparing the quantities.
A stocktake example you can recalculate
These figures are fictional: opening stock is 100 units, purchases add 80 and recorded issues total 120. With no other movements, the expected recorded balance is 60 units. If you count 52, the shortfall is eight. This establishes the size of a discrepancy only. It does not prove that eight units were wasted or that a particular employee caused it. Preserve the recorded and counted figures rather than replacing one without explanation.
Investigate before judging
Check late entries, unit mismatches, opening balances, recorded damage and counting errors. Recount where necessary. If standard consumption per procedure is used, that estimate may differ from the actual physical consumption of a case. The estimate itself may need review; it should not be treated as an automatic measurement of reality. Discuss the process with the team after checking the figures.
Relate purchasing to the work performed
Compare periods with reasonably similar procedures, not only monthly totals. More material-intensive services can explain part of the increase, as can unit-price changes or buying ahead. Start with a defined set of important items, a stocktake schedule and an accountable role. Record adjustment reasons so the history remains reviewable, then determine whether the issue needs data correction or an operational change.
Where Modirify helps
The inventory and stocktake module records movements and preserves system quantities alongside physical counts. These records help organise a discrepancy review, but cannot measure physical consumption without accurate inputs. The related Alpha Dental Clinic story describes material and cost monitoring; it is not a guaranteed saving or an independent measurement of waste. Use the records to identify what needs investigation rather than turning an unexplained difference into a final conclusion.