Masters

HILI NDIO SWALI LENYEWE

CASE: JONNIKI ANIMAL CLINIC

I t has been three years since Dr. Julia Bar opened Jonniki Animal Clinic, a suburban veterinary clinic. Dr.Bar thought that by now she would be enjoying having her own practice. She had spent many years in college and worked to serve money in order to start a business. Instead, she felt overwhelmed with business problems that were facing the clinic. She thought to herself. “I don’t produce anything. I just provide a service doing something I enjoy. How can this be so complicated?

COMPANY BACK GROUND.

Dr. Bar opened Jonniki Animal Clinic as veterinary clinic specializing as a care of dogs and cats. The clinic was set to operate Monday through Friday during regular business hours, with half days on Saturday and extended hours on Wednesday evening. Dr.Bar hired another full- time veterinarian, Dr. Gene Yen, a staff of three nurses, an office manager, and an office assistant. Both Doctors were to work during the week and to rotate the shift for Wednesday evening and Saturday. A similar schedule was set up for the nurses. The office manager worked during regular business hours, and the assistant worked on Wednesday evenings and Saturdays. Dr. Bar set up schedule based on a clinic she had observed as a resident and thought it sound reasonable. Since the clinic was small, Dr. Bar did not have a formal system of inventory all physicians and nurses were allowed to press purchase orders based on need. Initially this system worked well, but after a few months problems started developing. Frequently, there was excess inventory of certain items and many cases there were multiple brands of the same product. Sometimes, medications passed there expiration dates and had to be thrown away. At the same time the clinic often an expectedly ran out of a stock of a certain supplies and rush orders had to be pressed. On one occasion, they ran so low on bandages that the assistant had to be sent to local drug store.

Dr. Bar...