SmartChain moves towards implementation as the first functionality goes live
Date published: 19 Sep 2022
Author: Lucy Hose
This is a major milestone in the NSW Health Procurement Reform Program and an important go-live for SmartChain which is co-led by HealthShare NSW and eHealth NSW.
SMART Suggestions show when catalogue items are available for use instead of free text orders. A bit like when a search engine, for example, Google, predicts what things you are searching for, SMART Suggestions displays suggested catalogue items to improve searching and ordering for NSW Health staff.
Mamta Bhardwaj, Clinical Support Officer, Division of Medicine at Nepean Hospital says, “This new function enables us to find non-stock items within the Oracle system. It saves time to write free text and saves money. The system can then automatically update the price regularly rather than us confirming the price each time we order the item. It’s very good for non-clinical people to use as well.”
Following the go-live, and collecting more feedback from users, SMART Suggestions will be available across the state by the end of this year.
“This is an important development for SmartChain and brings early benefits to anyone who raises requisitions,” said Alex Araujo, Executive Director, Procurement, HealthShare NSW. Alex continued, “SMART Suggestions enables users to select a catalogued item when creating a free text order within the Oracle system, automatically updating it to the right description and right price rather than users having to manually enter and confirm these details each time they order.”
“SMART Suggestions make our lives easier because there will be fewer price holds through increased ordering off the catalogue, so invoices and orders are processed quicker. We can also easily analyse the expenditure data from BI analytics so that we can understand the buyer behaviour and find areas for improvement.” Said Maria Espino, Business Manager, Procurement, Nepean Blue Mountains LHD, Finance & Corporate Services Directorate.
This is the first of many digital transformation/enabling tools from which all iProcurement requisitioners can benefit as part of SmartChain. Farhoud Salimi, Executive Director, Service Delivery, eHealth NSW confirmed that; “The SMART Suggestions tool assists users in finding the right product from the catalogue to create consistency and reduce free-text ordering. We are introducing further enhancements that will enable the system to learn and retain information each time to improve the confidence level of the suggestion.”
Chameeka De Silva, Manager Contracts & Procurement, Nepean Blue Mountains LHD, said “I’m thrilled that Nepean is the first to see this tool rolled out across our more than 4,000 users. It will make ordering easier for teams and ensures we are ordering the correct items from the catalogue.”
SmartChain is digitising procurement and supply chain processes making it easier and more efficient for a range of users. This includes supply chain operations, clinical product managers and support officers, dock, stores and ward staff, staff placing orders and business managers from procurement and finance.
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