Most of us have done it.

Sometime between 8:00 am and 12:00 noon, you walked up to the Stores window, collected the items you needed, maybe even exchanged a quick greeting, and headed back to your place of work and continued your work.

But have you ever stopped to wonder what happens behind that window?

For many of us, “Stores” is simply where we collect gloves, stationery, cleaning supplies, kits, or other things. Yet behind every item, big or small that is handed over is a team working to ensure the right items have been bought, keep hundreds of these supplies organised, tracked, and available exactly when they are needed. The Stores team manages an impressive range of items, from the ones described above to laboratory consumables, electrical equipment, hospitality items, and other things, which might surprise you. Every project has its own designated storage area, ensuring supplies can be tracked and accessed when required.

Understanding the Procurement Journey

Part of the supply chain services is procurement, which begins the moment a need is identified, whether shelves, blinds, cars, computers, hospital beds, fridges, brooms, air tickets, pens, anything, you name it. A requisition must be raised, reviewed and approved by the line manager of the department making the requisition, once approved, the request becomes visible to the Supply Chain team, which sources quotations from suppliers. At this stage, the requisition is assigned to a procurement officer based on established procurement categories. Just as responsibilities are divided in other departments, Supply Chain team members specialize in specific categories such as medical supplies, stationery, travel, or IT purchases. This ensures requests are handled by staff who understand the market, know suitable suppliers, and can negotiate effectively to achieve the best value and quality. This is why when you ask Nancy to purchase a computer cable for you, for example, she is likely to refer you to Michael because that is not her category. Makes sense?

From quotation to delivery

Now, you may have ordered an item and have something totally different from what you wanted delivered. The procurement team takes responsibility to engage with the suppliers or other suppliers until you, the end user, is satisfied before any payment procedures are initiated.

Memorable Procurement Projects

• One of the most exciting purchases the team is proud of is the recent document archive shelving, the crate looking like things that were taking up precious parking space recently at the Gate 2 car park. It involved managing a substantial shipment and ensuring that the final product met both storage needs and quality expectations.
• Everyone is currently enjoying a nice comfy boardroom type chair, yes, the procurement team had a lot to do with that. Imagine the task of selecting seating that suits the needs and preferences of a diverse workforce is not always straightforward. Comfort, durability, ergonomics, and quality must all be considered.
• Procuring hospital beds and related clinical furniture for CHIM study was also an experience the team cherishes. The process involved sourcing highly specific items, identifying suppliers capable of meeting the specifications, and navigating long international supply chains. In some cases, suppliers themselves had to source the products from manufacturers before delivery could even begin. Finally, the product was identified; in India.

One aspect that is not always visible to end users is the amount of work involved in obtaining specialized research and clinical equipment. Many of the items used in research are not products that suppliers keep readily available in stock. Instead, they often need to be manufactured, sourced from overseas, or imported through specialized distributors. As a result, timelines can sometimes be influenced by factors beyond local control, including production schedules, international shipping, and foreign exchange considerations. The next time you purchase something specialized and you think it is taking too long, try to recall this bit of information

The warehouse

Most everything has to be registered as inventory except for equipment. When any department want to access items, it is done by placing requisitions through Serenic. The Stores team locates the requested items, records their movement, and issues them against the correct project. At the same time, the team manages a Supply Chain to ensure commonly used items such as gloves, Virkon, paper towels, and sharps bins are always available. These may seem like small things, but anyone who has run out of gloves in the middle of a busy day knows just how important they are.

You would be amazed at the depth of knowledge the team has developed about the items they manage. Although they are neither scientists nor technical specialists, they often know product details better, sometimes than the users themselves. Those who have been over for a shipment check off, you have experience how they accurately can describe what is in each box before it is even opened. Ask them about a particular kit and they can often tell you the pack size, available stock, or even the different configurations available. Whether its pregnancy test kits supplied in packs of 10, 20, or 25, or specific laboratory consumables, chances are the Stores team already knows exactly where it is and how much remains.

What many people may not realise is that their work does not end when the collection window closes at noon.

The afternoon is often the busiest part of their day. New deliveries need to be received and put away, stock cards updated, shelves inspected, quantities verified, and expiry dates monitored. They routinely walk through the storage areas checking that physical stock matches system records and ensuring items are stored correctly.

Then there is stock taking.

When the monthly stock-taking email lands in your inbox, be honest, what is your primary response? The first thought may be about the temporary loss of Stores access for a day or two. It is an inconvenience that does not always go unnoticed. But while many of us are adjusting our plans, the Stores team is undertaking one of the most demanding tasks in inventory management: verifying that every recorded item truly exists where it should. Supporting multiple project inventories, they devote long hours, often extending into Fridays and weekends, to ensure accurate inventories, preventing losses, identifying discrepancies early, and ensuring that critical supplies remain available when they are needed most. They also play an important role in managing expiring materials. When items approach their expiry dates, project owners are informed so decisions can be made about use, donation, quarantine, or disposal.

Of course, work comes with its challenges.

Space has always been one of the biggest. Like many busy stores facilities, finding room for growing stock levels can be difficult. There have been times when shelves seemed packed to capacity, with supplies stacked high while the team worked hard to maintain safety and organisation standards.

And then there is the physical side of the job. Deliveries need to be received, boxes lifted, shelves stocked, and supplies moved. It is demanding work that requires both attention to detail and physical effort, day after day.

Yet despite these challenges, the Stores team remains committed to ensuring that staff have what they need to operate smoothly.

You have probably figured out by now why “Stores” is in quotations. It is our generic term of the entire Supply Chain process.  And, the next time you walk up to the “Stores” window and collect a box of gloves, a pack of kits, or that special item you ordered, take a moment to appreciate the team behind the counter. They may not be generating laboratory results or conducting experiments, but their work makes all of that possible.

 

Did You Know? 📦

• Stores has a quarantine area. Once items enter quarantine, they cannot return to general stock and must follow approved disposal or management procedures.
• Welcome aboard! The newest Stores team members, Ntchindi Ntonya and Sadock Siliya.
• Frequently used items such as gloves, other H&S items are stocked through Supply Chain. Stationery and hospitality items are replenished under the programme.
• Temperature is monitored daily to protect stock quality and integrity. Storage conditions are consistently maintained within acceptable ranges.
• Timing helps everyone. Stores would much rather you collect requisitioned items between 8:00 AM and 12:00 noon. Afternoons are reserved for other duties.
• According to Chawanangwa, the most fascinating item in Stores is “that thing you hold in your hand and move your thumb up and down.” (A pipette) Not sure what a pipette looks like? Ask the next time you visit.
• Not all procurement officers handle every request. Requisitions are assigned by category to ensure faster processing and better supplier management.
• Why buy internationally? Some laboratory supplies are highly specialized and unavailable locally. International sourcing can provide better value, quality, and supply reliability.
• Many supplies arrive through consolidated shipments from Liverpool, including Perishables: Temperature-sensitive items; Ambient shipments, IT shipments and Dangerous goods: Regulated chemicals and hazardous materials.
• Collaborators may ship materials directly to MLW. However, procurement through Liverpool requires approved agreements and contractual processes.
• The new list of approved suppliers is now available Approved suppliers have been assessed and shown to provide products or services that meet our standards and specifications.
• The best procurement is often invisible. When staff have what they need, when they need it, procurement has done its job well.