Workday Launches to Further Unify System

Behind the scenes at the Albany Med Health System, work on the multi-year Care One initiative remains strong, having recently reached a major milestone in launching a platform that unifies business processes across all four hospitals and practice locations.

Workday, a cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) process, is now live throughout the Albany Med Health System as the single platform for supply chain and financial reporting. Work began on the project in March 2022. Over 15 months, the project team brought together processes that were spread across four different ERP systems. This means that Workday is now the platform where employees order supplies, submit reimbursements, and access financial reports. With the ERP project also came efforts to centralize procurement and accounts payable departments.

In the nearly three months since Workday’s go-live, the benefits have already become apparent. Albany Med Health System Director of Sourcing, Contracting, and Value Analysis Susan Armer said she and her team use the platform daily to review and approve service, capital, and new supplier requisitions as well as manage price changes, contract uploads and amendments, and supplier standardization.

Armer said that prior to Workday, it was difficult to pull accurate data from the legacy ERP systems that were in use at each campus.

“We did not have a centralized system for housing contracts and pricing, but with Workday we now have the ability to centralize our contracts, pricing, pull system, and campus and department utilization,” said Armer. “This allows us to see the big picture of product use, negotiate contracts for better pricing, and standardize products for the continuum of care across
our organization.”

While the effects of Workday may not be readily apparent to patients, its impacts are far-reaching. A single ERP platform will allow supplies to flow seamlessly across campuses, ensuring that resources are directed to where they’re needed most. From ensuring that patient care teams have the tools they need in the operating room to contract management and greater opportunities for future planning, Workday will promote transparency and efficiency across the Albany Med Health System.