As supply chain leaders continue to face unprecedented disruptions, leaders are increasingly turning to AI, automation and real-time data tools to stay ahead. Among the steps they are taking: shifting to a “data lake” concept, employing centralized data platforms and integrating EHR data for more supply visibility.

Here are responses from five supply chain leaders who were asked: What technologies or analytical tools are helping your health system to respond more effectively to supply chain challenges?

Note: Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Derrick Billups. Vice President of Supply Chain and Support Services at UC Health (Cincinnati): Our approach has centered on using technology and data to boost visibility, agility and continuity. One solution for us is an automated system which replaces back-ordered supplies with pre-approved alternatives through our distributor, helping us avoid delays and keep care delivery on track.

In addition, our ERP, inventory and RFID platforms give us detailed insights into key metrics like days on hand, consumption rates, and lead times — especially for critical SKUs — which helps us make faster, more informed decisions. With this, we are working on sharing demand data with suppliers so inventory can better match patient volumes and precise procedural case type needs, which should lead to more accurate forecasting and enhanced fulfillment. Technology is a powerful enabler, but it is our team’s flexibility, skill and ability to adapt that make the biggest difference which meets today’s supply chain challenges.

Moving forward we are exploring tools like AI, expanded RFID tracking and predictive analytics to improve demand planning and get a clearer, real-time view of inventory movement. Together, these initiatives support a present and long-term vision for a supply chain that can adapt quickly, respond intelligently and sustain high-quality care under any circumstances.

Joseph Dudas. Division Chair of Supply Chain Management at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minn.): In 2018, Mayo set out to transform our healthcare supply chain with an initiative called Digital Supply Chain. The objective was to utilize lessons learned from digital leaders such as Uber, eBay, Airbnb, etc., with a goal to accelerate savings and productivity. We pivoted from an ERP-centric vision of rigid “best practice” process management to that of a more agile and “data centered” approach. As a result, we shifted our attention to modernization of our data platform. The change moved us away from the concept of a data warehouse, where we were heavily dependent on IT, to that of a data lake, with new state-of-the-art, self-service data tools. Soon after came the pandemic, and it was fortuitous that we had started this effort as the advancements helped us manage through COVID-19 and the aftermath. With leading indicators in place, we were able to sense the crisis before it happened and mobilize quickly with procurement, inventory management, conservation and visibility solutions.

Wind the clock forward and we continue to do relatively well managing through continuous supply disruptions while also delivering value. That said, in 2025 we felt compelled to revisit our technology strategy again. What we recognized was that DSC was functionally rich, but that certain features had not been delivered as was envisioned, and while the ERP system was no longer a bottleneck, the complexity, cost and agility barriers associated with our approach were new areas for improvement.

DSC 2.0 seeks to advance the Mayo supply chain by addressing complexity, cost and agility constraints while also fully leveraging advancements in artificial intelligence and robotics. While the strategy lays out a high-level plan to converge technologies and simplify our platforms, it more specifically prioritizes new investments and partnerships. Two projects will lead the way as far as our plan is concerned with significant investments already approved to move them forward. They are as follows:

S2P and ops convergence. A program to move our operating platform to Oracle (P2P was moved to Oracle as part of DSC 1.0) as well as refresh our product information management tools.
Laboratory supply chain (FALCON). A custom build solution to manage the complexity of the laboratory supply chain. While custom development over the last 10 years has been largely in decline, there is no solution in the marketplace to be purchased, and state-of-the-art development tools have advanced significantly.
AI platform: A new partnership with Surgence (an AI platform built on Palantir) to a) extend our visibility beyond our own supply chain and b) fully advantage new and quickly evolving artificial intelligence solutions.

DSC 2.0 establishes a clear long-range strategy that sets the direction for sustained leadership and the ability for enablement. It addresses the most immediate concerns of complexity, agility and visibility as well as encourages continued advancement of technology and AI through our center of enablement (as opposed to “center of excellence”).

Adrian Jucja. Vice President of Data Management and Analytics at RWJ Barnabas Health (West Orange, N.J.): RWJ Barnabas has leveraged advanced supply chain analytics for over eight years. We have implemented and use a centralized data analytics tower to manage all supply chain analytics and navigate ongoing strategic and operational supply challenges more effectively. Almost real-time inventory tracking systems have been implemented to provide visibility across all facilities, enabling proactive identification of shortages before they impact patient care. Predictive demand forecasting, powered by the centralized analytics tower are in current development and plans to use machine learning have been identified. We will use historical usage patterns, seasonal trends, and EHR Scheduling to anticipate needs more accurately. These tools will help optimize order quantities, prevent overstocking and reduce waste while ensuring critical items remain available. Snowflake serves as a centralized data tower, seamlessly integrating data from our ERP, EHR, HR and third-party systems, enabling cross-functional insights that connect supply needs to patient volumes, staffing levels and operational trends. Integration with supplier data feeds also allows for quicker adaptation to disruptions, such as delayed shipments or product recalls.

Additionally, business intelligence dashboards and scenario-planning tools have empowered our leadership to make faster, more data-driven decisions. By consolidating procurement, logistics and usage data into Snowflake alongside ERP, EHR and HR inputs, stakeholders can quickly identify bottlenecks, assess vendor performance and explore alternative sourcing options.

Another success story has been the implantation of robotics by using UiPath alongside the analytical platform. During the IV solution shortage this was a key to success where robots were placing orders based on historical trends and available inventory across all 12 hospitals. This combination of Snowflake’s unified data environment, advanced analytics, and robotics has strengthened our ability to respond to challenges with agility, ensuring that front-line clinicians have the resources they need to deliver uninterrupted, high-quality care.

John Mikesic. Executive Director of Supply Chain at University of Missouri Health Care (Columbia): Power BI has become a critical tool for us, integrating data from our warehouse, nursing unit par levels and surgical case usage to create real-time visibility from loading dock to point of care. We’re also using ChatGPT to streamline contract reviews, draft RFPs,and summarize complex datasets. This fall we go live with Agiloft for deeper contract lifecycle integration.

Andrea Poulopoulos. Senior Vice President of Supply Chain at Corewell Health (Grand Rapids and Southfield, Mich.): By leveraging value analysis software, our supply chain team collaborates closely with our clinical teams to evaluate which supplies are best suited to accelerate sourcing strategies, reduce care variation, realize savings and maintain the highest levels of care for our patients. The tool helps to establish a streamlined workflow, rooted in data and clinical evidence, while quantifying the related expense and/or savings of the decision to the organization.

Technology leveraged in our purchasing process takes the tedious task of tracking down orders not received on time and instead simultaneously monitors hundreds of expected deliveries at once by producing a report that captures all purchase orders requiring follow-up. It also sends a follow-up email to request status of the delayed supply, versus a team member having to do so, creating space and time for more meaningful work to be done.

In addition to the technology and analytics we’ve adopted to keep our supply chain well oiled, on a regular basis, we employ risk-modeling solutions that help us gain insight related to the impact of unexpected risks such as government mandates, weather, etc., and to ensure the best return on investment on behalf of the patients we serve.

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