Client Information:
The client was a leading Integrated Care System (ICS) within the NHS, renowned for its scale and complexity.
The Challenge:
The ICS had recently centralised its Procurement function across nine Trusts, revealing prospects to standardise and streamline business processes, thereby ensuring consistency and unlocking operational efficiencies. A key issue was the manual supplier onboarding process, which involved nine distinct process versions and set-up forms, conducted primarily via email and Word documents. At the back-end, variations in Finance systems and databases further complicated the process.
Our Task: Our objective was to design a future-state process and a transformation plan aimed at standardising the process, minimising rework and waste, and implementing automation and digitalisation, thereby reducing risk and enhancing compliance with EDI and sustainability standards.
Our Approach:
- Initiation: We developed a comprehensive project plan, a communication strategy, and a stakeholder engagement plan. Engagement at the Trust level was pivotal to ensure widespread buy-in. Utilising existing policies and processes, we created a detailed view of the current state and established project governance for effective oversight and communication.
- Current-State Assessment: We meticulously mapped the supplier onboarding process across the nine Trusts, identifying areas of waste, rework, and potential improvements. A detailed inventory of tools and systems used at each step was compiled to pinpoint digitalisation and integration possibilities. A RACI matrix was created to clarify roles and responsibilities across the Trusts.
- Future-State Design and Transformation Plan: We devised an interim future state, considering existing organisational and technological constraints. This included a digital front-end using low-code workflow solutions integrated with RPA for data input into Finance systems. We refined the onboarding form, focusing on EDI, sustainability, and eliminating redundant fields. Our end-state vision incorporated eProcurement, supplier master data management, and automated third-party checks. We then structured these changes into a transformation roadmap, aiming for iterative process maturity and benefit realisation.
The Outcome:
Identification of the following potential benefits:
- Identified a 50% reduction in time required for supplier onboarding.
- Opportunity to consolidate eight onboarding processes and forms into a single streamlined procedure.
- Calculated a 40% decrease in effort, allowing a shift towards more value-adding activities.
- Opportunity to transition from an Email & Word-based system to a more efficient, digitalised, and automated front-end.
- Enhanced visibility of onboarding performance metrics, including timeframes, volume, and instances of rework.
