Founded over 30 years ago, Goose Creek Veterinary Clinic in South Carolina has grown from a small facility to a modern, 5,500-square-foot practice offering everything from companion pet care to exotics. Today, it is a thriving 4-DVM clinic and part of the EverVet Partners network.
At the helm of operations is Kyle McAllister, who also oversees the neighboring Ladson Veterinary Hospital. As a Certified Veterinary Practice Manager, Kyle is fluent in finance, workflow, and the daily realities of a bustling hospital – but inventory was always the task that seemed to take more time than it should, with COGS that felt stubbornly hard to move.
The reality: inventory always finds a way to demand more time
Like many practice managers, Kyle had systems in place for ordering and tracking stock. He used reports, spreadsheets, and plenty of late nights to stay on top of things. But inventory has a way of being endlessly demanding.
“I could only really recheck our order points every three to six months,” Kyle recalls. “And even then, it took hours. No matter how efficient I tried to be, it was just incredibly time-consuming.”
COGS also remained stubborn. “I could make progress, but only up to a point,” says Kyle. “I’d stay late, racking my brain about why the numbers weren’t moving. It was the best I could do manually – but humans can’t pivot weekly the way the software can.”
Time pressure also showed up whenever Kyle took time off.
“Before a vacation, I’d walk the pharmacy and ‘order by instinct,’” Kyle recalls. “But even then, once I was away, the team would still reach out because we were out of things. I’d end up pulling up Vetcove on my phone to place orders during vacation, slipping right back into work mode. And when I returned, there were always stockouts waiting to deal with.”
The Solution: Automating the Smart Way
Goose Creek joined Inventory Ally as part of EverVet’s second pilot group after seeing success stories from peers like Metz Pets. For Kyle, it was an immediate yes.
“I remember telling the team, ‘I’ll start today.’ It felt like one of the last things I hadn’t mastered as a manager. And this was the tool to help me do it.”
Inventory Ally’s seamless integration with their PIMS, Avimark, and Vetcove, along with its weekly automated order recommendations, changed everything. It eliminated the guesswork, gave Kyle back precious time, and improved inventory responsiveness – especially as the team grew.
“When a new doctor joined the team, she brought different preferences. Normally, that would’ve meant scrambling to update inventory manually. But Inventory Ally just picked up on the new patterns and told me what to order. I didn’t even have to think about it,” – Kyle shares.
The results: time saved, costs down, team empowered
With Inventory Ally in place, Goose Creek has experienced what every clinic hopes for: measurable improvements across time, cost, and confidence.
- COGS dropped by 3–5% with dynamic reorder recommendations that keep shelves stocked – never too much, never too little
- Inventory on hand shrank by $20,000–$30,000, even while adding a new doctor
- Weekly ordering now takes just 20 minutes, down from 2–3 hours
- Quarterly inventory counts now take 2 hours, not an entire weekend.
“When I started here, we had $120,000 of inventory on hand with two doctors. Now we have four doctors and just $36,000 on hand – and we don’t run out of anything!” – says Kyle.
One of the most meaningful changes shows up every quarter during full hospital counts. What used to take an entire Sunday now takes about two hours after closing on a weekday.
“Before, I’d have to come in on a weekend with a couple of staff and spend the whole day counting,” Kyle explains. “Now we just stay a little late after closing, get it done in two hours, and I still have my weekends free. That’s been huge for my work-life balance.”
Mobility that fits the flow
For Kyle, one of the most impactful recent updates has been the mobile version of Inventory Ally. In a busy hospital where no two days look the same, being able to manage counts and updates directly from a phone has been a game-changer.
“I love taking my phone to the fridge to update counts right there,” Kyle says. “Inventory doesn’t come to you – you have to go to it. Even though we have computers everywhere in the hospital, it’s not convenient to keep going back and forth. The mobile version just makes it seamless.”
The mobile tools have also simplified how the team communicates their needs. With QR codes posted throughout the hospital, staff can scan and instantly add items to the want list, eliminating the whiteboards, texts, and hallway reminders that used to pile up.
“Before, I couldn’t walk across the hospital without someone asking me to order something,” Kyle recalls with a laugh. “Now, they just scan the QR code and it goes straight onto the list. I can see everything in one place when I’m ready to order.”
The new pill counter app has added another layer of efficiency. Instead of dumping out bottles of tablets and manually tallying, staff can now spread pills on a tray, snap a picture, and get an instant count. And because the pill counter is included as part of Inventory Ally, Goose Creek was able to drop a separate paid app they had been using before.
“Any manager who’s ever had to count a 500-pill bottle will appreciate how much time that saves,” Kyle says. “And now it’s built right into Inventory Ally – we don’t have to pay for another app.”
From reactive to proactive
Most importantly, Inventory Ally has allowed Kyle to dedicate more time to strategic leadership, instead of tactical firefighting.
“Inventory Ally gave me the space to work on SOPs, create training videos, improve our hospital presence, and partner with shelters,” – he shares. “We have freed up tens of thousands of dollars to put back into the hospital – now we can get the ultrasound our doctors want and give staff raises. Our investment in Inventory Ally is paying off tenfold, not just in savings, but in what we’re able to give back to our people and our patients.”
Kyle now recommends Inventory Ally to any hospital, whether inventory feels like a daily struggle or the system already seems to be running smoothly.
“Even if your inventory’s ‘fine,’ ask yourself: how much time are you spending to make it fine? What else could you be doing with that time? Inventory Ally lets you redirect that energy into your team and your patients.”
Transform Your Inventory Management
Reduce inventory costs, save time, and minimize stockouts
