SAP Gold Partner Acclimation has recently implemented SAP S/4HANA across LifeHealthcare’s operations. According to the Australian medical device distributor, Acclimation also managed the direct integration of SAP Extended Warehouse Management solution into its warehouse automation system — further streamlining its inventory and distribution processes.
Established in 2005, LifeHealthcare is part of the medical equipment and supply wholesalers industry with a line of business that includes the distribution of surgical and other medical equipment, apparatus, and instruments. With a focus on providing access to these medical devices for Australian and New Zealand patients, the company offers a vast portfolio of products in various channels. In 2018, LifeHealthcare was acquired by Pacific Equity Partners.
To facilitate more streamlined and intelligent inventory management across its operations, LifeHealthcare needed to replace its legacy enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems with a cloud-based solution. The company required a modern software system that would integrate its platform with mymediset — a global tool used by organisations for managing their loan sets, medical equipment, devices, field, and consignment inventory.
LifeHealthcare’s Chief Financial and Operating Officer David Bonham said the company also sought a “highly leverageable tier-one solution” that would support its expansion and prospective growth opportunities.
To meet the aforementioned business needs, the medical device distributor decided to implement SAP S/4HANA. Additionally, the company has chosen Melbourne-based SAP consulting and solutions provider Acclimation as its partner who also used the SAP Extended Warehouse Management solution for the project deployment.
Implementing SAP S/4HANA
Commenting on the project, Acclimation Managing Director Rob Taubman said they have worked closely with LifeHealthcare and mymediset for the successful implementation of SAP S/4HANA. He further shared:
“The solution has resulted in improved efficiencies across the organisation with manual inventory processes brought down from hours to minutes, and reducing errors through automation.”
Prior to implementing SAP S/4HANA, LifeHealthcare stated that its operations lacked a standardised method for batching and serialising its kits as its legacy ERP systems were outdated and required daily maintenance. The company’s Chief Financial and Operating Officer David Bonham further explained:
“With the new solution, hospitals and surgeons can have surgical kits replenished directly through mymediset, which automatically updates the SAP S/4HANA system for inventory and asset tracking, including creating billing documents.”
Moreover, LifeHealthcare stated that the SAP S/4HANA integration with mymediset not only enhanced its asset and data tracking capacities but also improved its ability to analyse and standardise kits nationally.
“LifeHealthcare’s mobile surgical support teams are able to book surgical kits and record consumption on the mymediset iPhone app whilst at the hospital to directly update SAP in real time,” Bonham added.
Streamlining Processes with SAP Extended Warehouse Management Solution
Furthermore, Bonham stated that Acclimation also oversaw the direct integration of the SAP Extended Warehouse Management solution to LifeHealthcare’s warehouse automation system.
SAP Extended Warehouse Management, an embedded application component within SAP S/4HANA and a part of SAP AG’s Supply Chain Management Suite of solutions, equips companies with the relevant tools to monitor warehouse activities. This includes creating a batch number or serial number, resource optimisation, value-added services, and vendor management inventory.
By utilising the solution, LifeHealthcare was able to streamline its inbound and outbound processing, as well as its storage processes and operations. Bonham concluded:
“This allows LifeHealthcare to maintain a more holistic view of its kit inventory for improved customer service, more streamlined stock ordering, distribution and tracking, and better overall visibility and measurement of its working capital.”
