Gartner: Advanced Planning And Scheduling (APS)

Planning and scheduling solutions are critical to organizations to operate effectively. Advanced planning and scheduling (APS) is an element of supply chain planning that enables organizations to optimize resources while reducing the costs. In healthcare systems, supply chain management is typically a complicated and fragmented process, APS serves as a comprehensive planning and scheduling solution, helping them to optimize resources and cut down high costs. Healthcare supply chain management encompasses attaining resources, managing supplies, and delivering goods and services to care providers and patients. APS offers an essential role by offering detailed information about how resources can be utilized to ensure the demands are timely met. Technology advancements are assisting different organizations to enhance their supply change management (both internal and external) via different means including better connectivity, visibility, and collaboration. Holistic strategies that leverage the latest APS solutions can transform the supply chain management of organizations miraculously. Some healthcare organizations have found cost transparency effective to their supply chain management success. However, APS has been found to be extremely useful for making better decisions and creating a transformation roadmap in short duration. One of the key strategies for optimizing healthcare supply chain management within a hospital is to ensure that all departments are on the same page. This is possible when all the projects are smoothly executed and completed without unnecessary delays. APS is a methodology that helps organizations remains on schedule besides ensuring their timely completion. Due to lack of alignment of supply chain goals within an organization, the healthcare supply chain management process can be disorganized and fragmented. Employing early adopters of APS solutions may assist not only in improving margins and services but also reducing costs.