Metz Petz was founded by Drs. Nathan and Melissa Metz in 2017. With most of the team born and raised in western Ohio, Metz Petz has always been deeply connected to the needs of its community, prioritizing lifelong relationships with its clients and patients.
Now part of EverVet Partners—a growing network of veterinary hospitals—Metz Petz benefits from additional support in business operations and back-office tasks while continuing to serve its community with the same personal touch.
Managing the day-to-day operations of Metz Petz’ Ada location is Cody Long, a practice manager with over 15 years of experience in veterinary medicine. An inventory enthusiast, Cody thrives on finding ways to make processes smoother and more efficient. However, despite his passion and meticulous work, Metz Petz struggled with high costs of goods sold (COGS), hovering in the mid-to-high 30% range. That started to change when Metz Petz was selected as a pilot clinic in the EverVet network to try Inventory Ally.
Firefighter of the building
“A practice manager is like the firefighter of the building,” says Cody. “We’re responsible for financial stability, staff supervision, client satisfaction, maintaining inventory, and a myriad of other things needed to keep operations running smoothly. When things slip through the cracks—like stockouts or mischarges—we can end up with stressed-out teams and unhappy clients. That’s why I value any opportunity to improve efficiency or automate my routines. When I learned about Inventory Ally, I was immediately curious to give it a try.”
Stubborn COGS have been a long-term challenge for Metz Petz. “Manually forecasting inventory was incredibly difficult—I had to account for everything, from seasonal trends to DVM vacations, without any real predictability,” Cody explains. “We were stuck in what I like to call the ‘shake-a-bottle method’—just wandering the clinic to see what was missing. Inventory processes were far from data-driven back then.”
“On top of that, managing inventory with disjointed systems was complicated and time-consuming,” he continues. “I’d have to look at my PIMS report, go to Vetcove, try to remember which brands everyone preferred, and constantly switch back and forth between systems to figure out what was low and what my max levels were. It was a lot to manage.”
Leaning on Inventory Ally
Cody recalls his first days using Inventory Ally with a smile. “One of the first orders the program recommended was for $20,000. I thought it was insane!” he says. “But once I leaned on the program and fully committed to it, I realized it made sense. Compliance is really important—if you’re going to use it, you need to trust the system and follow through.”
Metz Petz quickly achieved remarkable results with Inventory Ally. COGS dropped from an average of 34% to the 28% mark. Perhaps most impressive, Cody cut inventory management time by about 75% to just over an hour per week. The impact was clear: smarter inventory management was saving time, money, and stress.
- COGS dropped from 34% to 28%
- 75% reduction in inventory management time
- Utilizing only 57% of the allocated inventory budget
Improved inventory turnover has been a game-changer for Metz Petz. “I’ve always operated with a two-week reorder point,” Cody says. “But Inventory Ally introduced me to more tailored cycles—weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, and quarterly. That made a big difference. For less-used items, instead of constantly keeping a two-week supply, I now stock enough to last a quarter and reorder as needed.”
Cody adds, “We’re on a suggested budget for inventory spending, and since July, I’ve been using just 57% of my budgeted allowance. That’s just over half of what’s allocated based on our revenue, giving us much better control over costs.”
With these improvements, Metz Petz has achieved a balance between maintaining optimal stock levels and minimizing waste—a win for both the practice and its clients.
Optimized formulary, fewer errors
With a streamlined and optimized formulary, Metz Petz has fewer items to manage, which means fewer opportunities for mistakes. “When you have too many stock items, you are almost asking for error,” Cody says with a laugh. “The decrease in inventory on hand means we physically have fewer items to count, fewer incorrect charges, and fewer missed or mischarges.”
Additionally, Inventory Ally can identify underutilized products and phase them out over time. “If a product isn’t moving, Inventory Ally stops recommending it for reorder, so it naturally fades out,” Cody explains. “This lets us revisit whether it’s really necessary to keep it in stock or discuss alternatives with our veterinarians.”
Proactive inventory management
Being proactive with inventory management is essential, especially during times of transition. “Recently, we lost a DVM, and I had to adapt quickly,” Cody recalls. “Normally, I only review our inventory minimums every six months—in January and June—and a lot can change in that time. When that doctor left, my calculations were still based on them being here, which could’ve led to a mess with misaligned orders. For instance, they preferred one product while another doctor preferred something else, leaving us overstocked on items she no longer used.”
With Inventory Ally’s dynamic order points, Cody was able to adjust on a weekly basis instead of waiting months. This real-time flexibility prevented over- or under-ordering and kept the practice running smoothly. “It’s like having my best friend in my back pocket—it saved me from a potential inventory nightmare,” Cody says. Once a new DVM joined the team, the system quickly adapted to the updated preferences, making the transition seamless.
Inventory Ally also helps Metz Petz stay ahead of changing demands. “If we see a sudden spike in demand for a product, Inventory Ally catches it much faster than I ever could on my own,” Cody explains. “It protects us from stockouts, keeps revenue in-house, and ensures continuity of care.”
Always evolving
Cody loves how easy Inventory Ally is to use and how it fits into his busy day. “The interface is millennialized—nice, pretty, and bright,” he says. “But the nicest is the live chat support. It’s great knowing someone will get back to you in a few minutes, not hours later when I’ve already put out three other fires.”
He was especially excited when Inventory Ally introduced its integration with Covetrus Pulse. “When you’re just relying on your PIMS, there isn’t a double-check system,” Cody explains. “But with the dual-ended integration, you get both sales and purchase history, which really helps you see the precise picture in real-time.”
Smarter vendor negotiations
By leveraging data, Inventory Ally turned vendor negotiations into an opportunity for the hospital group to save money without compromising on inventory efficiency. “At the beginning of the year, there’s a new product coming out that combines two of our current products,” Cody explains. “Vendors often push big orders to secure special pricing, but we generally avoid those deals because they often ask you to buy more than you need.”
With Inventory Ally’s forecasting tools, Cody has adopted a more strategic approach by basing orders on actual usage. “I can input the two products and see how much I’ll realistically need during the promo period,” he says. “Instead of pulling data from spreadsheets or PIMS and estimating manually, the system calculates it for me.”
This data-driven insight doesn’t just prevent overstocking—it also strengthens negotiations with vendors. “Inventory Ally gives us a clear view of my past purchases,” Cody adds. “We can say, ‘Here’s how much we’ve bought of this product—can we work on pricing?’ It’s a lot more strategic and precise.”
Being better at doing what you love
Cody’s success with Inventory Ally is not only transforming Metz Petz’s operations and financial performance but also inspiring change across the EverVet Partners network. As one of the pilot clinics, Cody is now sharing his best practices, guiding fellow practice managers across the EverVet group toward achieving similar results.
“With the passion I have for inventory management and how easily I embraced Inventory Ally, I was able to support the other four clinics that came on board with me in the organization,” Cody shares. “At the end of the day, that’s what I’m here for—to use my strengths to make a difference. By demonstrating what’s possible, I’m showing other hospitals that inventory management doesn’t have to be a struggle.”
Cody’s work is a shining example of how the right tools can elevate a practice’s operations and support the entire hospital group in achieving its goals, all while allowing him to excel at what he loves.
