Chuck Phillips: Revolutionizing Inventory Audits

Chuck Phillips, a seasoned veteran in the Physical Inventory Industry, embarked on his professional journey in 1973. Starting from humble beginnings, Chuck climbed the ranks within the industry, demonstrating his dedication and expertise, ultimately attaining the esteemed position of Regional Vice President.

In 1985, Chuck took a leap of faith and founded Electronic Inventory Systems (EIS), a groundbreaking venture that revolutionized inventory management for retailers across the United States. Recognizing the industry’s hunger for precise and comprehensive data, EIS introduced state-of-the-art software and hardware technologies, ushering in a new era of UPC-based inventories.

However, in 2007, the management of EIS made a pivotal decision to focus their efforts exclusively on hospital inventories after identifying a significant unmet need in the healthcare industry. With an unwavering commitment to filling this gap, they dedicated 100 percent of their resources to hospital inventories, propelling the company into a new era.

Under Chuck’s leadership, EIS quickly developed a groundbreaking system called BERTHA (Bringing Employees, Resources, and Technology to Hospital Audits), revolutionizing how inventory audits were conducted in healthcare facilities. In conjunction with this shift in focus, the company rebranded itself as BIG Inventory, Inc. (BERTHA Implementation Group), signifying its dedication to implementing the cutting-edge BERTHA system.

Today, BIG Inventory stands as the industry leader in physical inventories within the hospital setting, thanks to its unique and proprietary software solutions. The company’s market share continues to soar, propelled by the increasing number of inventories performed in different healthcare facilities. With its unrivaled technological prowess and unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction, BIG Inventory is not only the preferred choice for hospitals but also the market leader in the industry.

The Differentiating Factor

A fundamental aspect that sets BIG Inventory apart is its steadfast commitment to delivering exceptional service to its customers. Unlike many other providers in the industry, BIG Inventory has chosen a distinct approach when it comes to the crucial task of inventory management within hospitals. Rather than relying on staffing services, local temps, or casual employees, the company has made it a priority to assemble a team of career-oriented professionals who have dedicated themselves to this specialized field. These professionals possess a deep understanding of the hospital environment and its unique inventory items, offering an unmatched level of expertise and knowledge.

BIG Inventory firmly believes in utilizing cutting-edge technology to optimize the inventory management process within hospitals. While many of its competitors rely on handheld devices or tablets, BIG Inventory has chosen to leverage state-of-the-art laptops equipped with scanners.

The primary reason for using laptops instead of handheld devices is the immense volume of data involved in hospital inventories. The prepped data supplied by the facility, coupled with a vast number of indices, can easily extend into multiple hundreds of thousands of lines, which can easily overwhelm and hinder the performance of smaller devices.

Lastly, BIG Inventory prioritizes the quality and accuracy of the captured data during the inventory process. To ensure the highest level of integrity, the company employs an off-site Quality Assurance (QA) Monitor who monitors all data in real-time. The QA Monitor diligently reviews the captured data, scrutinizing counts, items, and other attributes. If any discrepancies or questions arise, the QA Monitor promptly communicates them to the on-site BIG Project Manager. This direct line of communication allows for immediate validation and correction, maximizing efficiency and minimizing any potential errors or inaccuracies.

Mission and Vision

BIG Inventory’s mission statement is fully embedded in its software acronym, BERTHA, which stands for “Bringing Employees, Resources, and Technology to Hospital Audits.” This acronym embodies the core principles and objectives that drive BIG Inventory’s purpose and direction.

The organization strongly emphasizes leveraging the right combination of employees, resources, and technology to achieve its mission of revolutionizing hospital audits. BIG Inventory’s commitment to excellence is evident in its approach to these elements.

When it comes to employees, BIG Inventory recognizes the critical importance of having professionals with prior experience in inventory management. Deployed throughout the United States and Canada, these dedicated individuals bring a deep understanding of the unique challenges and intricacies of the healthcare environment, allowing the company to provide comprehensive inventory services to hospitals across these regions.

In terms of resources, BIG Inventory’s program BERTHA goes far beyond being a simple software. BERTHA represents a comprehensive suite of tools and resources that support its inventory management process. It encompasses collection software, a robust cloud server, physical server infrastructure, and pre/post-data processing capabilities. This holistic approach ensures its resources are well-optimized to deliver accurate, efficient, and reliable inventory solutions.

BIG Inventory also invests heavily in the latest and greatest hardware and supporting software to fully harness the capabilities of BERTHA. The organization’s systems are designed to leverage multi-core, multi-thread processors to maximize efficiency and performance. By staying at the forefront of technological advancements, BIG Inventory ensures that its inventory processes are streamlined, responsive, and capable of handling large volumes of data.

Stepping into the Future

Under Chuck’s exceptional leadership, BIG Inventory remains fully committed to driving technological advancements and expanding its network of trusted partnerships. This unwavering dedication allows the company to provide comprehensive and integrated supply chain solutions that meet the evolving needs of its valued customers.

Through strategic relationships with esteemed partners, such as RDA Healthcare Supply Chain Services, BIG Inventory leverages the power of collaboration to create bundled solutions. These solutions offer a seamless and integrated experience, simplifying the supply chain process for customers. The ultimate aim is to provide a “one-stop” solution that optimizes efficiency and delivers significant cost savings.

By harnessing the expertise and resources of trusted partners, BIG Inventory also enhances its own industry-leading inventory management solutions. This strategic synergy ensures that customers benefit from the combined knowledge, experience, and technological capabilities of both organizations. The result is a streamlined supply chain, where customers can save valuable time, allocate resources more efficiently, and realize substantial cost savings.