OUR STRATEGY

Strategy and key strategic focus areas 2019-2024 and beyond

An insight into our strategy, formulated to keep us relevant, to guide our execution and to foster change and growth, serves as the very core of the SANBS foundation. It is the driving force behind our pursuit of financial sustainability and consistently delivering increased value.

Successful achievement of the SANBS mission and the long-term financial sustainability of the organisation is shaped by seven strategic objectives (iHEALTh).

Our strategic priorities reflect:

  • What will be achieved
  • How success will be measured, i.e. strategic measures
  • What will be done to achieve the strategy, i.e. strategic initiatives

The iHEALTh strategy, which has been in place from 2019 to 2024 and was extended to 2025, embodies our purpose and materialises through strategic projects and initiatives that permeate every aspect of our operations.

People and relationships remain our greatest assets. Innovation is our path towards future success and that is why iHEALTh is such an important part of our strategic thrust.

iHEALTh renders visible and measurable objectives. These objectives have been simplified from the collaborative input and understanding of all stakeholders. As SANBS, we have to ensure that we continuously align our human and financial resources to meet our strategic objectives and priorities as identified in this strategy.

The strategy sets concise and measurable outcomes (See Performance against Strategy) based on the standards and framework of SANBS. Key to the success of the strategy is buy-in from stakeholders, including the Board, the Executive Committee and all employees.

Our mission statement “To reliably provide trusted blood products and services to all patients at a world class level of cost and quality while innovating new treatments to enhance human healthcare” embraces four key metrics – Cost, Quality, Reliability and Coverage – which are being actively measured and addressed in the strategic objectives of the business. In 2019/20 we further unpacked our strategic goals around these four metrics and agreed weighted indices to guide our performance. These also inform our thinking and assist the governance structures in their assessment of delivery against the 5-year plan. Essentially each of these indices comprises a number of internal metrics and at least 1 external metric to ensure comparability with other blood services.

Metrics to achieve the mission

RELIABILITY

Reliability, for SANBS, is a foundational value that aligns our organisation with the quality of being able to perform well, irrespective of the challenges that we encounter.

We maintain product and service reliability through:

RESILIENCE OF INFRASTRUCTURE
  • Standardised donor infrastructure with state-of-the-art digital technology, integrated with process automation at blood banks
CONSISTENCY OF DELIVERY
  • Accountability and effective cost control contribute immensely to consistency of delivery
CONSTANTLY IMPROVING OUR PROCESS RELIABILITY
  • A feedback system available to doctors, donors, patients and employees
    • invaluable insights re expectation and requirements
  • Feedback facilitates identification of weaknesses
    • opportunity for continuous improvement, employees training and process optimisations
TURNAROUND TIME
  • The amount of time taken to complete a process/fulfil a request
  • Reduced product delays
  • Reduced idle time by key employees

RELIABILITY INDEX

  • Stakeholder Engagement
  • Order vs Issue
  • Turnaround Time
  • No replacements
  • Misdirected Transfusion Errors

COST

Cost management is an important consideration. Over the past few years, operating costs have increased above inflation. We will strive to contain these costs going forward. Unpaid debts from government and private entities also need to be urgently reduced. Addressing these issues head on will ensure SANBS’ remains financial sustainable in the long run.

We will achieve reduced costs by:

IMPROVING VARIABLE COST PER UNIT
  • Essential cost-effective expenditure
  • Become more prudent
  • Maintain disciplined cost management
REDUCING LOGISTIC AND PERIPHERAL COSTS
  • Review fleet and related activities to optimise process and costs for delivery of blood products
  • Optimise inventory levels
REDUCING COSTS OF COLLECTIONS
  • Increase mobile units and reduce number of fixed sites
REDUCING LEVELS OF WASTAGE
  • Minimise blood wastage and wasteful expenditure

COST INDEX

  • Benchmark cost of RBC
  • Working capital (cents/rand of turnover)
  • Employees Cost % of total costs
  • Procurement Spend saving

QUALITY

Quality is a crucial part of SANBS, and an important pillar for the future. Quality processes will ensure we are able to track our activities and manage them optimally, from the screening process of blood donors to the transfusion of blood products to patients.

Direct message and Notifications systems have been enhanced and streamlined for an improved user experience. Employees log improvement opportunities to allow a proactive response. The quality team is integrated into the operational areas and is approached as advisory experts.

Optimal quality of SANBS is, and will be achieved through:

  • An entrenched quality culture
  • International standards accreditation
  • Quality improvements through quality failure logging
  • Reducing wastage and adverse effects
  • Improving service quality with insight from our stakeholder experience

QUALITY INDEX

  • SANAS Accreditation
  • Blood Safety Donor Care Index
  • Blood Safety Product Quality Index
  • Blood Safety Patient Care Index

COVERAGE

It is imperative for SANBS to have its blood and blood products made available to all, irrespective of location.

As an organisation, we provide trusted blood products and services, and these need to be available to all patients. We also have to be able to meet growing expectations and demands.

We will extend coverage to all through:

  • Collecting blood at key population concentration points
  • Services available in traditional and new areas
  • Curbing blood shortages in previously under serviced areas
  • Initiatives including use of:
    • mobile units in collections
    • smart fridges
    • drones to rural areas

COVERAGE INDEX

  • Total SA Coverage (issues per 1000 pop.)
  • SA Public Sector Coverage
  • SA Private Sector Coverage
  • % Blood Availability to hospitals performing caesarean sections

SDG GOALS

In contributing to a sustainable future and looking beyond environmental considerations alone, SANBS has aligned its strategy to support the following UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals

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iHEALTh STRATEGY SCORECARDS