Texas software giant Oracle is helping healthcare organisations create patient-centred supply chains.

To help healthcare organisations drive a more connected patient experience, Oracle is introducing specialised supply chain software for the healthcare industry. Part of its Fusion Cloud Supply Chain & Manufacturing (SCM), the industry-focused offerings support the needs of healthcare organisations and can help them improve patient care by optimising planning, automating processes and enhancing visibility across the supply chain.

Unpredictable supply and demand across the healthcare industry creates complex problems, which make it difficult for healthcare organisations to predict supply shortages, manage complex pricing, replenish orders quickly and maintain accurate billing. These difficulties have been compounded by recent supply chain disruptions and result in unnecessary time and money being spent on administrative tasks, which ultimately impact healthcare organisations’ ability to deliver optimal patient care.

“When healthcare organisations face supply chain disruptions, it can be a matter of life or death, and that’s why healthcare teams in particular need reliable, efficient and connected supply chain management systems,” said Rick Jewell, executive vice president at Oracle. “Connecting inventory and clinical data has the potential to revolutionise how healthcare supply chains operate. With Oracle Cloud SCM, we are delivering new solutions that are purpose-built to give healthcare organisations the supply chain stability and confidence they need to improve patient outcomes.”

Oracle Cloud SCM helps hospitals and clinics improve quality of care, plan more effectively, reduce costs, and manage more responsive supply chains.

A home equipment delivery option in Oracle Logistics helps healthcare organisations assist patients and caregivers outside the hospital by enabling equipment and maintenance tracking. In addition, product master data management capabilities in Oracle Product Lifecycle Management help healthcare organisations maintain complete patient documentation by providing a unified data source that supports deep integration with electronic health records and clinical attributes.

Options in Oracle Supply Chain Planning & Self Service Procurement help healthcare organisations improve planning and predict demand. These include intelligent shopping experiences and curated product catalogues that make shopping for supplies quick and simple. In addition, intelligent reordering and simplified supply planning capabilities enable hospitals to have equipment and supplies available, even before they are needed, by automating the ordering process.

Added capabilities within Oracle Procurement and Channel Revenue Management help healthcare organisations reduce administrative costs and improve profitability by optimising procurement and supplier management processes. For example, integrated pricing management and standardised billing capabilities in Oracle Procurement help simplify supplier management and enforce compliant spending, while rebate management capabilities streamline complicated supplier rebate programmes by increasing visibility and simplifying reconciliation.

SCM helps organisations respond quickly to changing demand, supply and market conditions. With tailored options built for industries including automotive, communications, healthcare, industrial manufacturing and retail, organisations across any industry can seamlessly connect supply chains to optimise processes, enhance efficiency and improve resilience.