An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Penny-wise and pound-foolish. Either of these adages apply perfectly to the topic at hand on this episode of Inventory Nation. Dr. Lauren Forsythe – a controlled substances expert and Pharmacy Service Head at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital – highlights for Host Nicole Clausen how risk mitigation can prevent costly regulatory compliance issues before they start. Their conversation focuses on why it’s important to establish dispensary protocols as well as concrete strategies to get the job done at your particular practice. You’ll learn about common mistakes and how to get around the reflexively fearful response many of us have when it comes to taking on the management of controlled substances. Ready to fall in love with your inventory? Check out Nicole’s new (and totally free) mini-course at this link. And stay tuned for more fun mini-courses and events upcoming this spring! Would you like to learn more about Inventory 911 Toolkit, our step-by-step blueprint to help inventory managers optimize knowledge, strategy and confidence? Click here!  You can also join our virtual neighborhood for inventory managers and other veterinary professionals for free by visiting this link. Or follow what we’re up to @Instagram.FOLLOW OR CONTACT US: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Help! Have you ever gone from feeling in total command of your inventory to … what?? The wheels suddenly seem to have come off the bus, thanks to an unexpected rush or a crush of back orders. Don’t worry! Host Nicole Clausen has your back and is devoting this episode of The Inventory Nation Podcast to managing through – practically and emotionally – when things start to fall apart. And, by the way, inventory snafus happen to everyone – so no beating yourself up! You’ll come away from this show with three Top Tips for getting through the bumps, plus bonus ideas sure to make you feel less alone. The biggest takeaway? Don’t be afraid of vulnerability (with thanks to Brené Brown)! Creating inventory systems can be a thankless job fraught with inevitable mistakes, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t doing a fantastic job. This episode provides you tools to perform a reality check when it feels like the rock is rolling back down the hill! In addition to mindset coaching, Nicole is sharing other ideas for self-care that will help you navigate on even the toughest days. Taking on the task of managing operations and supplies for your practice is huge. You are, in the words of Theodore Roosevelt, “daring greatly.” So stand proud and try some of these strategies for keeping yourself together in the face of whatever challenge. Finally, remember: Things always change and the inroads you’re making are no doubt appreciated even more than you realize! Ready to fall in love with your inventory? Check out Nicole’s new (and totally free) mini-course at this link. And stay tuned for more fun mini-courses and events upcoming this spring! Would you like to learn more about Inventory 911 Toolkit, our step-by-step blueprint to help inventory managers optimize knowledge, strategy and confidence? Click here!  You can also join our virtual neighborhood for inventory managers and other veterinary professionals for free by visiting this link. Or follow what we’re up to @Instagram.FOLLOW OR CONTACT US: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Ever wondered how to showcase the value you bring as an inventory manager? Or wanted to truly shine during a salary negotiation or on your latest resume? Host Nicole Clausen devotes this episode of The Inventory Nation Podcast to giving you strategies to demonstrate – in very concrete ways – the huge benefits this work bring to to veterinary practices. And there’s nothing squishy about it since metrics are of course at the heart of great inventory management! You’ll learn how to quantify clearly for clinic owners (or perhaps prospective employers in other industries) the impacts you make in reducing expenses, saving time and boosting efficiencies throughout the operation. To put it another way: If you’re saving a $1.5 million practice just 2% annually on cost of goods, that represents a savings of $30,000. Add in all the other reductions in waste, inefficiency and over-stocking and a skilled inventory manager’s impacts to the business’s bottom line are easily in the tens of thousands of dollars. In fact, what you’re running is a business within a business! So, Nicole reminds us, never doubt the valuable role you’re playing and skill set you bring! Whether you’re negotiating a raise or looking to move into an entirely different line of work, the ROI you represent is demonstrable and real!  In the mood for love? Nicole has just released a new five-day minicourse – Falling in Love with Your Inventory – that you can find for free at this link. Would you like to learn more about Inventory 911 Toolkit, our step-by-step blueprint to help inventory managers optimize knowledge, strategy and confidence? Click here! You can also join the Inventory Strategy Network – our free virtual neighborhood for inventory managers and other veterinary professionals – by visiting this link.FOLLOW OR CONTACT US: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

SUMMARY: Passion is at the heart of every great romance and it’s no different went it comes to Host Nicole Clausen’s ongoing affair with all things inventory management! This episode of The Inventory Nation Podcast offers you a front-row seat on what it feels like to Fall In Love With Your Inventory! Returning with her first podcast of 2023 (and since the loss of her beloved Tank), Nicole jumps right into the nuts and bolts of putting systems in place – not just in order to get a handle on things like ordering, pricing and performance indicators but also to make life more pleasant and manageable for everyone on your team. Even on the best of days our practices can be swamped by all kinds of variables, so why not put in place SOPs that are about more than show? Nicole is spelling out the components of a healthy inventory ecosystem and how they all work together to ease everyday operational flow. You’ll also hear about Emma and the real-world results she reaped after taking control of her multi-practice inventory management system. With a little help from Nicole and her toolkit, Emma discovered how to make her multiple vet practices hum – and in the process of doing so also uncovered the fact that this kind of work – spreadsheets and all – is actually in her zone of genius! Maybe it’s in yours, too? Ready to Fall In Love With Your Inventory? Click here to find out all about Nicole’s upcoming free five-day mini-course, a proven process for taking back control of your inventory – without adding a million things to your to-do list!And if you would like to learn more about Inventory 911 Toolkit, the systematic roadmap developed by Veterinary Care Logistics to help inventory managers optimize knowledge, strategy and confidence, click here!You can also join our virtual neighborhood for inventory managers and other veterinary professionals for free by visiting this link.ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:Website for Cornerstone Veterinary Software.Veterinary Care Logistics: @InstagramVeterinary Care Logistics: Certified Veterinary Inventory Professional ProgramVeterinary Care Logistics: Consulting ServicesABOUT VCL:Veterinary Care Logistics serves veterinarians and their teams who are frustrated that their current inventory system is not functioning correctly and are facing out of control inventory costs and improperly stocked hospitals. VCL helps veterinarians through inventory analysis, comprehensive step-by-step action plans, and thorough team member training. My clients experience great success and rave about my work because I roll up my sleeves and get dirty working with your hospital to improve your inventory as if it was my own hospital.FOLLOW OR CONTACT US:Website | LinkedIn | FOLLOW OR CONTACT US: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Rock star inventory managers  are made – not born! That’s the message from Host Nicole Clausen, who on this episode of The Inventory Nation Podcast shares the personal story of her vision for an independent vet consulting business and how she made it happen. All the transformational tools and strategies she offers clinics around the country didn’t materialize overnight. As Nicole describes (starting with Part I of this two-part series), her journey included figuring out her niche, claiming and flying her own flag proudly, trial, error and lots of good humor. Follow along (and send Nicole a DM) on Instagram: www.instagram.com/veterinarycarelogisticsJoin the FREE Veterinary Inventory Strategy Network: www.veterinaryisn.comLearn more about practice management system software training sessions or remote consulting:  www.vetlogic.co/consultingFOLLOW OR CONTACT US: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

On this episode of Inventory Nation we’re invited to join Host Nicole Clausen for an intimate look at her journey from a childhood passion for marine biology and furry animals to the happy accident that brought her into the world of veterinary medicine. It’s a community she has loved for all kinds of reasons right from the start, but it was her introduction to the “puzzle” that is inventory management that brought together all the things at which Nicole excels: Building relationships, figuring out systems, providing support and sharing a wealth of strategies for making your practice’s inventory a thing of beauty! For show notes, podcast information, and more, check out: www.vetlogic.co/podcastFOLLOW OR CONTACT US: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

We all know controlled substances are to be handled with care, but Host Nicole Clausen’s guest on this episode of Inventory Nation drives home just how critical it is to mitigate risk – before a breach of compliance occurs! Jack Teitelman, a 26-year veteran of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), has seen first-hand the fall-out for veterinary registrants who fail to put adequate systems in place and it’s not pretty. Your program doesn’t have to be perfect, but it must demonstrate seriousness of intent and consistency. Feeling fully compliant and ready to face the DEA? If not, you might want to take a short risk assessment quiz to determine whether a discovery call is in order! You can find the link here. Would you like to learn more about Inventory 911 Toolkit, our step-by-step blueprint to help inventory managers optimize knowledge, strategy and confidence? Click here! You can also join our virtual neighborhood for inventory managers and other veterinary professionals for free by visiting this link.ABOUT VCL:Veterinary Care Logistics serves veterinarians and their teams who are frustrated that their current inventory system is not functioning correctly and are facing out of control inventory costs and improperly stocked hospitals. VCL helps veterinarians through inventory analysis, comprehensive step-by-step action plans, and thorough team member training. My clients experience great success and rave about my work because I roll up my sleeves and get dirty working with your hospital to improve your inventory as if it was my own hospital.FOLLOW OR CONTACT US: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

On this episode of The Inventory Nation Podcast we’re learning about how to take a strategic look at everything on our ledgers, from COGs to employee expenses to the shortfalls too many practices experience as a result of underpricing common procedures like basic exams. Host Nicole Clausen asks Lindsey to share thoughts on how practices can keep competitive with online pharmacies and which reports and other data to generate, follow and track – not once in a blue moon but on a regular basis! For show notes, podcast information, and more, check out: www.vetlogic.co/podcastFOLLOW OR CONTACT US: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

On this episode of The Inventory Nation Podcast we hear first-hand from Host Nicole Clausen’s very happy guest how she established a practice that feels liberating, nourishing and reflective of her values. Dr. Eve Harrison runs a Los Angeles-based Concierge Vet practice that enables her to give the highest level of care to the clients who are the best fit at a wage that feels like fair compensation. She shares her journey from burnout and frustration to self-empowerment through boundaries and envisioning abundance. Learn more about House Call Vet Academy, an online course that teaches how to get a mobile vet practice up and running without falling into the many pitfalls Eve has experienced. Dr. Eve Harrison's  website. Book a free discovery call with Eve by clicking here.FOLLOW OR CONTACT US: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Welcome back to The Inventory Nation Podcast and a special episode showcasing incredible changes Host Nicole Clausen’s guest was able to implement after becoming a Veterinary Care Logistics Certified Veterinary Inventory Professional. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, isolated or at a loss for how to put the right systems in place, you’re not alone. As you’ll hear in this lively conversation, Shelly Chadwick has been there – but since completing the CVIP course she has dramatically reduced inventory costs and headaches at her animal hospital (a place she especially loves for reasons that will become clear when you hear her amazing story). She’s sharing the many “aha” moments, strategic tools and other valuable takeaways that enabled her to get on top of what can be a very stressful job. “At the end of this course you’re going to have the literal book on how to do everything inventory-wise,” says Shelly. “You’re going to have every single SOP! … and a huge binder that you need a mule team to pull, but it is 100% worth it!” You’ll learn the specific procedures and platforms that Shelly has found so helpful and what it is that makes Vet Care Logistics offerings such a huge gamechanger. There’s a reason that whenever Nicole speaks at conferences, it’s standing room only! It’s a fascinating topic with so many systems to explore. The results for veterinary practices are transformational – and that’s exciting too!Ready to get your systems streamlined? Interested in saving your practice money, wasted time and frustration? Click here to enroll in the Veterinary Care Logistics’ Certified Veterinary Inventory Professional program.Or you might want to try out our Inventory 911 Toolkit, a step-by-step blueprint to help inventory managers optimize knowledge, strategy and confidence? Click here!You can also join our virtual neighborhood for inventory managers and other veterinary professionals for free by visiting this link.FOLLOW OR CONTACT US: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

How much time should inventory management take? The short answer is: It depends! Every situation involves variability and nuance, but there’s one thing that pretty much all of us have in common: We have to start somewhere! We also have to understand that getting the right system in place requires time, patience and, very often, some help. The most important thing is establishing a clear endpoint – checklists and procedures that, once in place, will make every function flow more smoothly and efficiently. FOLLOW OR CONTACT US: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Host Nicole Clausen is drilling down on her Top Five Tasks for mastering your inventory management. She covers everything from regulatory compliance to negotiating with vendors, offering up great insights and tips to keep you on track. You’ll come away with new checklists to smooth your process, thoughts about the importance of creating boundaries with sales reps and ideas to help you get your team onboard “The Price Is Right”-style! So revel in your inventory management role, says Nicole, and approach it with a sense of fun, creativity and well-deserved pride!FOLLOW OR CONTACT US: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Social media can feel overwhelming, but not when you have an expert like Cheyanne Flerx — aka Hey Cheyanne! — onboard to show you the ropes. On this episode of The Inventory Nation Podcast, this maestro of online communication shares with Host Nicole Clausen her best advice for veterinary professionals who want to increase visibility and capture the spirit of their practice’s core values.You can find Cheyanne at:https://www.instagram.com/hey_cheyanne/https://www.heycheyanne.com/Follow along (and send Nicole a DM) on Instagram: www.instagram.com/veterinarycarelogisticsJoin the FREE Veterinary Inventory Strategy Network: www.veterinaryisn.comLearn more about practice management system software training sessions or remote consulting:  www.vetlogic.co/consultingFOLLOW OR CONTACT US: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Welcome to the two-year anniversary of The Inventory Nation Podcast! It’s amazing to see a little experiment that started off as a way to stay connected during Covid19 lockdown blossom into a thriving community of support. Host Nicole Clausen continues sharing ideas and strategies for optimizing veterinary practices with a look at ways to integrate inventory management into our practice information management systems (or PiMS). Follow along (and send Nicole a DM) on Instagram: www.instagram.com/veterinarycarelogisticsJoin the FREE Veterinary Inventory Strategy Network: www.veterinaryisn.comLearn more about practice management system software training sessions or remote consulting:  www.vetlogic.co/consultingFOLLOW OR CONTACT US: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

This episode of The Inventory Nation Podcast looks at veterinary practices through the prism of MBA best practices. Host Nicole Clausen interviews Drew Bartholomew, Chief Operating Officer at Vetcelerator, who is sharing new ways of measuring Costs of Goods Sold. With an MBA from The Wharton School, he is highlighting the business case for systematically tracking baseline factors that determine overall profit and loss. As a primer, you might want to click here to listen to Episode 65 of Inventory Nation – which covers Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About COGS! Inventory Ally, check out: www.inventoryally.comFor show notes, podcast information, and more, check out: www.vetlogic.co/podcastFOLLOW OR CONTACT US: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

If you feel like your inventory is in chaos and every day brings more, this one’s for you! Host Nicole Clausen breaks down her comprehensive Inventory 911 Toolkit, a step-by-step blueprint to optimize your knowledge, strategy and confidence. You’ll learn what the course includes as well as the goals behind its design – the primary one being freedom. The Inventory 911 Toolkit course includes a variety of templates, spreadsheets videos and a workbook that will turn great ideas into actionable procedures.Inventory Ally, check out: www.inventoryally.comFor show notes, podcast information, and more, check out: www.vetlogic.co/podcastFOLLOW OR CONTACT US: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Are you new to inventory management? Feeling overwhelmed? Can’t find the playbook that spells it all out? Check, check and check! Not to worry. Nicole Clausen, founder of Veterinary Care Logistics, has got you covered. On this episode of The Inventory Nation Podcast she is walking us through Five Things Every Inventory Manager Should Know (plus a very important bonus tip!). The quickest way to build confidence in your role is to know the landscape you’re dealing with and Nicole’s step-by-step roadmap does exactly that. She covers the foundational elements of a highly effective inventory program, which include: defining parameters and figuring out variables in the system; creating a network of support for those tough days or tricky situations; and – perhaps most important of all – getting clear with your team about what’s expected of you right from the start. Once your role’s requirements have been well defined, you’ll know whether further explanation, training or support is necessary to set you up for success. Clarity is king and Nicole is equipping you with a checklist to get there!Inventory Ally, check out: www.inventoryally.comFor show notes, podcast information, and more, check out: www.vetlogic.co/podcastFOLLOW OR CONTACT US: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Are you staying ahead of price increases – especially in an economy where the cost of everything seems to be going up, up, up? On this episode of The Inventory Nation Podcast you’ll find out why it’s more important than ever to have systems in place to prevent three common pricing mistakes that can erode bottom-line revenue. Host Nicole Clausen, founder of Veterinary Care Logistics, is highlighting some of the sneakiest reasons inventory managers often feel like they’re scrambling – and still (quite literally) coming up short. She shares key strategies for keeping clinic operations running smoothly – and profitably – with protocols around things like receipt and processing of shipments, maintaining up-to-date practice management systems and setting up backstops for the inevitable pricing outliers and “special exceptions” that can trip us up. The good news is: Nicole has been there and knows what it takes to audit, analyze and help us incorporate gold standard operating procedures that ensure our veterinary inventory practices are optimized – and the headaches minimized!Would you like to learn more about Inventory 911 Toolkit, the powerful step-by-step blueprint to help inventory managers to leverage knowledge and strategy with confidence? Click here!You inquire about VCL’s remote consulting services by clicking here or join a free virtual neighborhood for inventory managers and other veterinary professionals by visiting this link.ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:Veterinary Care Logistics: @InstagramVeterinary Care Logistics: Certified Veterinary Inventory Professional ProgramABOUT VCL:Veterinary Care Logistics serves veterinarians and their teams who are frustrated that their current inventory system is not functioning correctly and are facing out of control inventory costs and improperly stocked hospitals. VCL helps veterinarians through inventory analysis, comprehensive step-by-step action plans, and thorough team member training. My clients experience great success and rave about my work because I roll up my sleeves and get dirty working with your hospital to improve your inventory as if it was my own hospital.FOLLOW OR CONTACT US:Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | FOLLOW OR CONTACT US: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Does the thought of running out of a veterinary medicine or supply strike fear in your heart? Are you the sort of inventory manager who buys in excess “just in case”? If so, this episode of The Inventory Nation Podcast is for you! Chronically overstocking products not only reduces your practice’s efficiency, it also diverts resources better spent on things like equipment repair, new hires, or raises for the team. So the next time you look at your stockroom shelves and see bottles nearing expiration, imagine each of them containing dollar bills — because they do! Host Nicole Clausen is here to provide actionable tips to mitigate the paralyzing fear of running out, including ways to leverage billing reports, track data, implement backstop systems and create buffers that will make unnecessary overbuying a thing of the past!Would you like to learn more about Inventory 911 Toolkit, our step-by-step blueprint to help inventory managers optimize knowledge, strategy and confidence? Click here!You can also join our virtual neighborhood for inventory managers and other veterinary professionals for free by visiting this link.FOLLOW OR CONTACT US: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Is your inventory manager empowered to protect your bottom line? If not, then you’re leaving money on the table that could be used instead to grow the healthiest, most robust veterinary practice possible! This episode of the Inventory Nation Podcast focuses on all things COGS, which stands for Cost of Goods Sold. Host Nicole Clausen, president and inventory expert at Veterinary Care Logistics, walks us through both definitions and available systems to identify exactly where your practice’s costs lie, which when it comes to COGS means anything related to caring for a patient. You’ll learn about a great (free!) resource for tracking exactly where these expenditures are and what percentage they represent of your revenue year over year. Having a  methodology in place provides not only a vital measure of your practice’s financial health but also a means for reducing costs through lean, intentional, highly effective inventory practices. Wouldn’t you rather spend resources on compensating your dedicated team than wasting dollars on expired products, diversion, mischarges, and other inventory-related vulnerabilities? Listen to this episode, and you’ll know exactly why the answer is a resounding: Yes! ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:American Animal Hospital Association: Chart of AccountsVeterinary Care Logistics: @InstagramVeterinary Care Logistics: Certified Veterinary Inventory Professional ProgramABOUT VCL:Veterinary Care Logistics serves veterinarians and their teams who are frustrated that their current inventory system is not functioning correctly and are facing out of control inventory costs and improperly stocked hospitals. VCL helps veterinarians through inventory analysis, comprehensive step-by-step action plans, and thorough team member training. My clients experience great success and rave about my work because I roll up my sleeves and get dirty working with your hospital to improve your inventory as if it was my own hospitalFOLLOW OR CONTACT US: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram