Reduce Cancelled Procedures Due to Inventory Shortages
Health systems require real-time, accurate visibility into inventory across ERP systems, EHRs, procedural inventory systems, distributor portals, automated dispensing cabinets, and manual logs and spreadsheets, among others. However, clinical and supply chain systems rarely integrate seamlessly, leaving health system staff without a reliable, up-to-date view of actual inventory levels.
Poor inventory data has a direct impact on care delivery and financial performance. When health systems lack accurate, reliable point-of-use supply data, they risk having too much of what they do not need and too little of what they do. The result is waste, shortages, excess spend, missed charge capture, delayed procedures, staff frustration, and patient dissatisfaction. Better supply chain decisions start with trusted inventory data.
InterSystems Supply Chain Orchestrator™ is an AI-enabled supply chain decision intelligence platform built to help healthcare organisations make faster, more informed supply chain decisions. By unifying data from disparate systems into a real-time connective layer, it provides predictive and prescriptive analytics that improve visibility, reduce waste, anticipate shortages, and optimise performance—without replacing or disrupting existing infrastructure.
Why Inventory Visibility Matters
Procedure fulfilment is one of the most operationally complex and financially important areas of healthcare supply chains. Each case depends on aligning the schedule, required supplies, clinician preferences, staffing, vendor support, and cost considerations. When any of those elements are out of sync, health systems risk delayed procedures, missing items, last-minute substitutions, excess high-value inventory, and avoidable expense.
This is where decision intelligence matters: it moves beyond retrospective reporting and helps teams anticipate risk, prioritise action, and improve procedure readiness before disruptions occur.
Using Supply Chain Orchestrator, health systems can better manage their data, procedure schedules, and patient care. The results speak for themselves:
- Reduce procedure delays and cancellations related to product shortages: Missing implants, surgical kits, incomplete case carts, or last minute substitutions can lead to lost procedural revenue, reduced OR utilisation, patient delays, and dissatisfaction. In high-margin procedures such as orthopaedic, cardiac, and spine cases, a single cancelled procedure can represent $150K+ in lost revenue.¹ Across hundreds of delayed or cancelled procedures, the financial impact can reach millions of dollars.
- Eliminate excess and obsolete inventory: “Just-in-case” ordering, poor replenishment visibility, and expired high-value items tie up significant working capital. For many health systems, 15–30% of inventory is wasted or discarded annually.² Better inventory intelligence helps reduce waste, improve turns, and free up capital.
- Improve demand forecasting accuracy: Accurate demand forecasting helps health systems anticipate what, when, and where supplies will be needed. This reduces the risk of missed procedures, overstocking, expedited shipping, excess labour, and avoidable supply expense. For large health systems, the combined impact of poor demand visibility can contribute to eight-figure annual value leakage.
- Reduce manual labour burden: Inventory validation, spreadsheet reconciliation, manual case preparation, and recall tracking place a significant burden on clinical and supply chain teams. Automating and improving visibility into these processes can reduce labour costs, improve productivity, and lower operational risk.
- Protect patient care: A single missing item can delay or cancel a critical procedure. Improving procedure readiness helps reduce disruptions, avoid delays in care, and support better patient and clinician experiences.
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