A co-ordinated IT system for the improved management of the blood supply

Historically, most computer systems have been backward looking and have been introduced as a method of dealing with increasingly complex practices. For the Service to exploit the potential benefits of information technology, today's systems must be forward looking, support the Service's strategy and help shape the Service, not merely reflect it. To do this the starting point for the design of the Service's information systems must be the needs of the customer. It is therefore intended to replace the Service's current 12 incompatible computer systems with a single, standard system. Benefits will begin to be realized immediately following implementation of the chosen system in the first site; however, the benefits will not be fully realized until after successful implementation of the last site. The following is a non-exhaustive list of some of the benefits that the Service is seeking to achieve by implementing a coordinated IT system.