Optimizing Healthcare Supply Operations: Stable Staffing and Logistics Resourcing

Even the best run supply chain teams cannot function without the appropriate staffing levels and effective frontline execution. Consider the scenario below and that sinking feeling when even the best-laid plans will be for naught if the critical supplies fail to reach patients and clinical teams.

“The Organization Safety Huddle is about to start. What does our staffing look like for today?” asks the Director of Supply Chain Operations for the facility.

“Well, sir, we appear to be down six people today. Two are sick, two have called out via Family Medical Leave Authorization, and two are just no-call, no-show,” replies the Operations Manager.

“That is not good. Can we still support hospital operations?” questions the Director, shaking his head.

“Well, we can’t do everything today. This is a significant staffing gap. We’ll need to modify schedules and responsibilities. Deliveries will likely be delayed, and …” the words trail off. The Operations Manager nervously glances around at no one in particular.

As a Supply Chain Executive, isn’t it your role to understand how operations are running and how daily staffing impacts those operations? If it’s not, it should be. This is one of the primary causes of poor execution and a damaged reputation for Supply Chain. A single critical nursing unit that does not receive its regular supply replenishment can trigger a cascading series of action responses, ultimately forcing senior leadership to intervene. Knowing how your team addresses staffing challenges—and putting the right structures in place to respond—must be a core strategic objective, aligned and agreed upon with your operations leadership.

Operational and resourcing experts, such as Canon Business Process Services, can be an excellent option when faced with chronic staffing challenges as it can greatly increase flexibility over traditional approaches. In the following sections, we will explore techniques to further strengthen your staffing model.

Call-outs and low staffing levels demotivate the entire operational team. The remaining staff must work harder to complete the required tasks, creating resentment and leading to exhaustion. Over time, this fosters a perception that leadership is unprepared or incompetent. It is imperative that Supply Chain leaders create an agile team structure.

A previously shared concept, the 4+4+5 model—offers an effective alternative: two staggered shifts that cover all hospital operations while also providing off-duty resources who can be contacted, incentivized, or used to trade shifts when needed. The key element of this model is having staff members who already know the specific areas and responsibilities of the individual who called out. This reduces pressure on others and promotes fairness and flexibility. This is not the only effective model that can be deployed, but a commitment to understanding the problem and the options is a very important and strategic step.

In large, complex healthcare operations with many staff and high criticality, it’s likely that one or more team members will be out on any given shift due to vacation, illness, or other reasons. In a traditional healthcare logistics labor model, this is addressed with a “vacancy factor,” a number on a spreadsheet. But in reality, you can’t simply plug in any available worker to fill a critical role. You cannot fill a nursing supply room with that 1.1765% FTE number.

Enter the Expert Floater.

For high-performing healthcare logistics staff with strong work ethic, creating a specialized, higher-paid role can offer a key career stepping stone. The Expert Floater, a role used to great effect by Canon Business Process Services, is cross-trained in all critical areas and serves as a skilled backfill during unexpected absences. These team members—often future leaders—are proficient in operations from receipts to customer service. When there are no call-outs, floaters tackle high-priority tasks beyond the daily routine. They are the linchpin that prevents supervisors from spending their day refilling PAR locations or pulling stock in the storeroom.

Accountability and recruiting may seem unrelated, but in practice, they are deeply connected. Every operations team knows who the strong performers are—the ones who can be counted on. They also know the underperformers—those who do the bare minimum and are often rewarded for it with the easiest and least critical assignments.

Why do these underperformers remain on the team?

Because holding people accountable—writing them up, initiating terminations, recruiting replacements, conducting interviews, and onboarding—is a heavy burden. These tasks often fall to leaders already stretched thin managing daily operations and responding to clinical escalations. For many, tolerating mediocrity feels easier than replacing someone, even when considering the potential for a stronger candidate. The challenge becomes even greater when the poor performer is well-liked by clinical teams but fails to deliver on core responsibilities.

The most damaging underperformer, however, is the supervisor who shows up just long enough to start the shift—and then disappears. Every supply chain leader has encountered this scenario and remembers it all too well.

The role of the Accountable Supervisor is critical to both effective recruiting and agile operations. Supervisors must have sound decision-making skills, clear guidelines, and the authority to make staffing decisions and bring in reinforcements when needed. Investing in strong front-line leadership is essential—and so is building the right structure to support recruiting when staffing changes must be made.

One of the most overlooked benefits of Canon Business Process Services Medical Supply Distribution and Logistics Services is the dedicated support provided for recruiting, onboarding, and continuous education. Hospital Human Resources departments, focused primarily on clinical staffing, are not equipped to offer the same level of support for logistics roles. Their tools, benefits, and strategies are designed to attract and retain patient care professionals—not supply chain staff.

Supply Chain staffing requires a different approach.

Capable hospital supply chain and logistics operations partners will host job fairs, pre-screen candidates, and build consistent talent pipelines tailored to operational roles. They are also equipped to deploy creative incentive programs and performance-based advancement opportunities—capabilities often difficult to implement within traditional hospital HR models.

If your organization includes collective bargaining units, additional limitations will exist. Seniority-based assignments and rigid role structures can restrict flexibility and reduce your ability to place the most qualified staff in the most critical roles. Innovative positions like the Expert Floater can be challenging to introduce or fully leverage within these frameworks.

The days of onboarding staff by simply having them “shadow” another employee must be replaced with focused, structured training. Modern healthcare facilities are too complex, with too many systems and regulations, to rely on unstructured processes.

Training in behavioral competencies, system navigation, ergonomics, product knowledge, and equipment operation is increasingly critical. Yet traditional operational teams often lack the resources to support this pivotal phase, resulting in new staff adopting bad habits learned from existing personnel. Specialized instruction in areas such as ergonomics, OSHA compliance, and certified heavy-equipment handling often exceeds the capabilities of in-house programs, leading organizations to seek outside assistance—services that can be integrated directly into the onboarding process when partnering with an operations partner.

Consider how your staff are onboarded. Are they receiving the proper instruction to confidently run your critical operation? Has your team received the proper ongoing education and skills certification? Is your team agile, effective… and available? When you are ready to tackle these challenges utilizing an expert partner, contract Canon Business Process Services for expert advisory and staffing services.

“Well, what are our options?” asked the Director upon hearing the impact prognosis of the staffing situation

“I think we’ll be set. We worked with the Canon Operations Lead Supervisor and have flexed the Expert Floater to cover the most critical areas in Cardiac, and we have two team members who volunteered to come in and help. One of the no-shows was on his final warning, and the team had already started training a replacement. She is here today and ready to step in with minimal supervision. I am told we shouldn’t miss a beat.” The Operations manager pulled up the inventory screen already anticipating the next question.

“Well done,” replied the Director.