Q. How can organizations determine their capabilities to maintain an inventory of assets and resources?
Similar to the 96 hour capabilities, an organization needs to create a continual process to manage its inventory. The Joint Commission recognizes that this could be problematic with the current trend of "just in time" purchasing. Tracking assets and inventory for a year is recommended in order to accurately ascertain what the capabilities are for the organization. Once a determination is made, Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) or other agreements may be formed with other entities to help the organization maintain its inventory during an emergency. However, it is very important to test and/or document this along with the other five critical areas during an exercise or actual event to look for areas for improvement.