CONSIS Advanced Inventory Management Software
What is it and how does it work?
Stock Reviews
In a single integrated report, this ‘Snapshot’ lists the drugs in CONSIS displayed by ‘Days on Hand’. Each drug appears with an associated Advisory, you can view all Advisories together or filter by type.
By clicking on each drug, you can view a range of important details
Product Information
Scan codes (Barcodes)
Dispense Velocity
Speed of the drug is shown. It is the number of boxes
expected to be dispensed per day, per week and month.
Dispense history (over the last 3 months)
Channel Configuration (location in the machine) using a diagram
Channel locations and the stock levels
Stock Advisory - provides guidance
Stock Advisories
Slow Mover
Dispense Velocity is below 2 packs every 30 days. Monitor for decreasing usage or consider removing drug from CONSIS.
Decrease Channels
Projected maximum stock capacity lasts for longer than recommended 60 days. Consider removing channel(s) for this item.
Add Channels
The item is fast moving and has a total capacity of less than 7 days. Consider adding channel(s) for this item.
Recently Added
Item appears to have been recently added to CONSIS. Projections and advisory may be inaccurate.
Low Stock
Stock on hand below recommended 3-day threshold. Consider placing restock order.
Stock over-capacity
One or more channels have recorded stock levels above calculated maximum capacity. Consider removing packs to prevent damage to OPS flaps.
Stock picking errors
One or more channels have high rates of errors (10+ in last 30 days). Check dividers or remove blockages.
Stock ordering
With 1 click of a button you can start your order
The order preparation window opens which is supported through PharmX and you can select your preferred wholesaler (it shows you how many of your SKU’s are available from each supplier).
You can nominate how many days stock you would like to order, and a report is then generated for your final review.
There is also a visual aid to assist with recommended stock levels.
Order tracking
You can review your recent orders and their current status.
You can further expand this window and see the details of the order.
FAQs
Here are our most common FAQs
A.I.M.S. is flexible, if you decide you no longer want access, advise us in writing info@willach.com.au and we will cancel you subscription from the first day of the next month
1st day of each month – last day of the month; any changes made will always reflect the following month
We appreciate that any change can seem overwhelming which is why we offer 1-1 training for CONSIS Champions and the staff who undertake ordering. In addition to the initial training, we will be checking at 30 days and 60 days to see how the pharmacy is tracking. We will be developing a series of short videos as well.
Read our Understanding CONSIS shelves and channels for more information on packing shelves or watch our video.
AIMS does an inventory check of CONSIS, then checks each SKU through the PharmX portal to see what is available at your first line, second line and tertiary wholesalers. If your first line supplier does not have the stock, the system will order from a backup supplier.
A.I.M.S follows a structured process to ensure you are informed about unavailable drugs before and after placing an order:
- Before placing the order: When you create an order, A.I.M.S sends a request to the supplier.
On the preparation screen, you will see an overview of all the requested drugs.
To make it easier to identify items that cannot be ordered, there is an advisory filter that allows you to view only the drugs that will not be ordered due to missing reorder numbers from the supplier. - After placing the order:If a drug has a reorder number and was successfully ordered but is later found to be out of stock with the supplier, A.I.M.S will update the order history page to reflect this status
The machine is programmed to manage your stock levels and cash flows. There is no excess stock when ordering for 7, 10 or 14 days. The suggested reorders quantities are capped to prevent this. Excess stock will only be ordered on the bulk reorder quantities.
Note that the suggested quantities can be adjusted on a review page, and the user can scroll through all SKUs to adjust the supplier or quantity. Excess stock can be ordered on the 7, 10, 14 day function if the user manually toggles to increase the quantities.
The landing page and its Advisories can be accessed and acted upon anytime. We know pharmacies are busy, so find the Advisory that is slowing or impacting your workflow the most. Little by little, your improvements will reward you in time, savings and head space.
Your PBS bulk orders won’t be affected, as AIMS integrates well into existing workflows. Our trial sites continued to do PBS bulk orders at the start of the month, with the excess stock stored in the pharmacy. Using the low fuel gauge Advisory, users filled the machine once a week for the top lines, before using the AIMS Reorder to top up all other medications.
All suppliers linked to your PharmX account are listed, even those that are no longer preferred.
You can create different account numbers for a supplier, mainly to separate the order. Eg into Front of shop, CONSIS only and non-robotic lines.
Yes. All you need to do is create a CONSIS only account with PharmX. When prepping an order on AIMS, select the account number that you have set for CONSIS stock. When the delivery arrives, CONSIS stock will not be mixed in with your retail stock. Each group will have their own totes.
If you have electronic invoicing, there is a high likelihood you have a PharmX account. If you are unsure, we will be able to assist by verifying with PharmX.
Each pharmacy will have different preferences for managing excess stock. Using AIMS reordering function (7, 10 or 14 days’ stock) the suggested quantities will be capped to the quantity that can fit the machine. Eg if an order for 10 days’ is generated, and a drug can only fit 7 days’ stock at capacity, the 3 days of excess will not be ordered unless the user manually toggles an increase in quantity at the review stage.
What happens if Excess stock is required in the pharmacy?
- If Excess stock is required, prepare an order for 30 days’ supply for the top 25 or 50 drugs. Use the quantities here to guide your PBS bulk order.
– Store this excess stock in the pharmacy. When refilling, use AIMS to check the ‘Low Fuel’ Advisory to find drugs that are running low. - Fill CONSIS up with PBS bulk order items first (once or twice a week), before generating your weekly AIMS order for 7, 10 or 14 days.