Why is Managing a Resource Calendar at Your Practice Important?

A resource calendar is a way for hospital managers and administrators to schedule their resources efficiently, on time, and within budget. When resource management is done correctly, you can save time and money while still completing tasks on schedule. 

This blog post discusses eight benefits that come with managing resource calendars at your practice, and why it should be done on a regular basis in order to improve efficiency and productivity.

1. Many resource calendars allow you to allocate resource activities across both resources and time. This way, resource allocation can be monitored and planned out accurately.
   
   Resource allocation is important because it helps ensure that the right resource is allocated for the job at the right time. A resource calendar can also help ensure that each resource assignment is properly managed throughout the entire duration of its activity. 
   
   
2. Resource calendars provide a clear visual representation of resource availability and usage. This includes resource allocation, resource assignments, resource utilization rates, resource bottlenecks, resource overlaps, resource shortages, resource idle periods, and resource forecasts.
   
   
3. A resource calendar also allows for more open communication between the hospital staff and all those with who they are working with. They are able to know exactly what resources are available in the hospital and when they should be used.
   
   This is key because it allows hospitals to save time by avoiding having to send out requests or find other sources of a resource. It also saves money because it is much cheaper when resource needs can be anticipated ahead of time and ordered specifically as needed rather than acquiring extra inventory that will go unused.
   
   
4. Managing resource calendars in your hospital can help you save money and time in the long run. Some of the ways resource calendars could lead to cost savings include:
   • You don't need to purchase more supplies than needed.
   • You buy supplies in bulk for lower prices.
   • You need fewer manpower resources to complete tasks since you have a more detailed resource calendar available for scheduling.
   • You can plan ahead for peak hours and distribute resources accordingly, with a resource calendar.
   • Error rates are reduced because there is a built-in system that prevents resource overages or shortages.
   • You can avoid resource duplication because the resource calendar is able to detail which hours are taken up by a specific resource.
5. Maintaining a resource calendar allows hospital resource managers to maintain a consistent budget, which helps with financial records and reporting. If resource managers know exactly how many hours they have allotted for each resource, it is easier to plan and execute a budget.
   
   
6. Effective resource management means that you can ensure the hospital is properly staffed. Hospital managers should be aware of how many nurses and doctors they need for each shift, so as not to have openings or gaps in staffing.
   
   This will result in better patient care by having enough medical professionals on staff at all times, which reduces wait time and improves the doctor-to-patient ratio.
   
   
7. Resource calendar management also reduces the need for hospital managers and administrators to use their own time to manage resources by manually adding tasks, hours, or people. Manual resource allocation would be an enormous task without resource calendars.
   
   
8. A resource management calendar also prevents resource conflicts, which are usually a problem when more than one person has to coordinate their schedules. This way you can make sure that all of your resources will be in place for any given event or project at the right time and date. 

One thing you should always keep in mind is that resource management calendars should be updated on a regular basis. This way, you can make sure that your resource calendar reflects any changes necessary to ensure success for the hospital or medical practice. 

Resource management works best when you accompany it with hospital management software that suits your practice well. Insta by Practo offers tools for scheduling resources. These include:

• Calendar and Slot-wise availability views by day/week for doctor appointments.
• Setup bulk resource slot overrides or block slots based on the change of resource availability.
• Calendar-wise day/week views for other resource (test/service/surgery) appointments.

If you are looking for the best results, there is nothing better than Insta. Book a free demo now!