A cloud-based digital chemical inventory system can serve as the backbone of an organization’s chemical safety program, allowing safety professionals to quickly access and update live chemical inventories with a few mouse clicks. Covering all the most critical facets of safety and compliance associated with hazardous chemicals, a digital chemical inventory enables easy access to safety data sheets, chemical expiration dates, and so much more. This also assists busy chemical owners and end-users who work with these chemicals and compounds daily to keep track of current stock and stay consistent with the potential reordering of materials. SafetyStratus has a new, easy-to-use feature that handles this exact scenario: the Low Chemical Inventory Alert. In this article, we will investigate the benefits and order of operation for this feature.
Why might chemical users need low inventory alerts?
The Low Inventory Alert feature for the Chemical Inventory Module is a chemical owner-focused option that is designed to simplify the maintenance of chemical stock. The last thing any team member wants (whether that team participates in research, medicine, manufacturing, construction, or any other industry) is to be without adequate resources, as this would likely lead to a delay or stoppage of their workflow. The ability to set low inventory limits and associated alerts for chemicals takes this burden off users’ shoulders, ensuring that their team never runs short on supplies. Running out of a necessary chemical is not like forgetting to buy sugar before you make a cake. You cannot just go to your neighbor’s house to ask for a cup of sodium perchlorate. The benefit of having one less thing that could potentially be overlooked allows users to maintain a greater focus on their day-to-day work efforts.
How does the SafetyStratus Low Chemical Inventory Alert work?
The SafetyStratus Low Chemical Inventory Alert is very simple to configure. First, the chemical owner chooses any chemical. The Low Inventory Limit for that chemical can be set to any mass or volume, in the unit of their choosing. Once this limit is saved, it will apply automatically to all other chemicals within that specific owner’s inventory, based on the following criteria:
- The chemical(s) must have the same product number.
- If the item has no product number (i.e., generic compound), the chemical(s) must have the same product name.
- If no product name is available, the chemical(s) must have the same CAS number.
Once this feature has been activated for the applicable chemicals, the system actively monitors this limit. When one of these chemicals reaches its low limit, an email notification is automatically generated and sent to the owner of the chemical. The email includes details of exactly what chemical has reached its low inventory level, so that the owner can take timely action regarding the replenishment of those materials.
SafetyStratus’ Low Chemical Inventory Alert feature can save chemical owners significant time and energy in their efforts to maintain appropriate supplies of important chemicals. With this functionality, the system acts as an inventory assistant, removing the need for users to manually monitor their stock levels. This ability curbs delays resulting from unforeseen chemical stock depletions, meaning teams can focus more energy on performing their duties safely and efficiently.
AUTHOR BIO
Joe comes to the SafetyStratus team with over 15 years of experience in the biological sciences and laboratory management and safety. At the University of Connecticut, and later at the University of the Sciences, Joe managed multiple high-volume biology teaching laboratories. He also worked as an Aquatic Biologist for the Philadelphia Water Department’s Office of Watersheds. Most recently Joe held the position of Laboratory Safety Manager in the University of the Sciences’ Environmental Health & Safety Department, overseeing all aspects of safety inspections and compliance in over 150 campus teaching and research spaces.
Originally from Connecticut, Joe has lived in the Philadelphia suburbs for the last 10 years. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science and Biology from the University of Maine at Fort Kent. In his free time, Joe enjoys working out, taking in a good football game or movie, and traveling with his wife to sunny Caribbean destinations whenever possible.
