Leveraging Robotic Process Automation to Streamline Item Master Requests and Enhance Procurement Efficiency in Healthcare

This presentation explores how robotic process automation (RPA) was used to overhaul the hospital’s inefficient item master request process. By identifying root causes such as manpower shortages, manual workflows, and untraceable approvals, the team developed an automated Item Requisition Portal (IRP) that integrated approval workflows across multiple departments. Users now submit requests via an online portal, which streamlines approvals and reintroduces the value analysis process, critical for cost-effective and compliant purchasing. The new system offers real-time tracking of requests, significantly reducing manual errors, improving turnaround times, and decreasing off-contract spending through P-card transactions. Attendees will learn how a low-code RPA solution can be implemented in healthcare settings to address procurement inefficiencies, enhance transparency, and improve operational and financial accountability. This presentation provides insights into leveraging technology to empower users and create sustainable improvements in hospital procurement processes.

Describe how robotic process automation (RPA) can streamline procurement processes and improve operational efficiency in healthcare settings.

Explain the steps for designing and implementing an automated item requisition system, including workflow integration, user engagement, and value analysis reintroduction.

Apply low-code automation solutions to address procurement inefficiencies, ensuring compliance, traceability, and improved user confidence in real-world healthcare environments.

Authors

MEng in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Bristol, UK. Currently a PhD student in Industrial and Systems Engineering at Binghamton University, NY, US. Research Project Assistant at the Watson Institute of Systems Excellence (WISE). Supply Chain Consultant at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University