By deploying an automated point-of-use dispensing solution at its New Bedford plant, this medical devices company is driving down the cost of MRO.

Surveying the landscape of potential solutions to their consumables challenge, the DePuy team came to focus on automated point-of-use dispensing technology. Richard A. Perry, manager of MRO strategic sourcing at DePuy, had become familiar with the point-of-use dispensing solutions — essentially, large cabinets with a varying number of access-controlled drawers — while visiting various industry trade shows, and he came to believe that this technology could be the right solution for DePuy. Subsequently, David Rivers, a systems engineer with DePuy, found an automated point-of-use dispensing exhibit at a conference organized by APICS, the operations management association formerly known as the American Production and Inventory Control Society.

After an exhaustive study conducted by Perry and Rivers to learn about the specific technology provided by the major suppliers in the automated, point-of-use dispensing industry, the New Bedford facility elected to go with a provider of the solutions based in Southern California. Perry said that the selected provider met the following criteria on DePuy's requirements list: modern, state-of-the-art cabinet designs; no in-house server required; Web-enabled solution; user-friendly operation; superior management reporting features; proven track record; and low overall cost.