Systems and methods of managing inventory in a medical facility

A method for providing inventory information, the method comprising:

• (a) providing a plurality of tags, each of the tags having an identifier associated therewith and being associated with at least one product, the tags being placed at or near storage locations associated with the at least one product;
• (b) providing an inventory station having an array of unique station locations, the inventory station including a substrate and being installed in a vertical position such that it does not take up a large amount of floor space;
• (c) using a detector associated with one of the station locations to obtain an identifier associated with at least one tag when the tag is positioned at the station location;
• (d) determining an inventory status associated with the identifier for the at least one product;
• (e) activating an indicator associated with the station location to provide inventory information based upon the inventory status, the indicator being operated to emit a first indicator signal if the inventory status is in a first state and to emit a second indicator signal if the inventory status is in a second state;
• and
• (f) determining whether the at least one product should be ordered based upon a quantity remaining and a rate of usage of the at least one product.

An inventory information system comprising:

• a plurality of tags, each of the tags having an identifier associated therewith and being associated with at least one product, the tags being placed at or near storage locations associated with the at least one product;
• a substrate defining an array of unique station locations, each station location of the substrate having an indicator, one or more tags of the plurality of tags being positionable at a station location, the substrate being installed in a vertical position such that it does not take up a large amount of floor space;
• at least one detector operable to obtain an identifier associated with one of the tags when the tag is positioned at one of the station locations;
• and
• a processor operatively coupled to the at least one detector and the plurality of indicators, the processor configured to:
• receive the identifier associated with a tag positioned at a station location and to determine an inventory status of at least one product associated with the identifier;
• operate the indicator at the station location of the tag based upon the inventory status to provide information about the inventory status of the at least one product associated with the tag;
• and
• determine whether the at least one product should be ordered based upon a quantity remaining and a rate of usage of the at least one product.