Our Business
Balancing what we can do with what we have: Our trade-offs and key considerations
Our Business
Balancing what we can do with what we have: Our trade-offs and key considerations
Operating in a resource-constrained healthcare environment requires SANBS to make deliberate choices about where and how to invest for maximum impact. These decisions often involve balancing immediate service delivery with long-term sustainability, cost-efficiency, and stakeholder expectations.
In a year marked by continued transition and transformation, SANBS considered trade-offs to balance service delivery, cost efficiency, and stakeholder trust. The introduction of the ‘Serving with Heart’ strategy brought a renewed focus on people and provided direction for strategic choices that support long-term value.
Two trade-offs stood out during FY25. The first relates to optimising blood product delivery for patients while managing the infrastructure and financial investment required to enhance responsiveness. The second involves preserving the spirit of voluntary donation while exploring appropriate ways to recognise and retain loyal donors.
These trade-offs reflect SANBS’ evolving priorities and highlight the importance of making thoughtful, future-focused decisions that uphold both operational sustainability and stakeholder confidence.
Balancing service responsiveness with cost and infrastructure
In FY25, a key trade-off emerged between service responsiveness for private healthcare providers and patients
Capitals impacted
- Manufactured capital - The current logistics infrastructure limits real-time responsiveness, especially for geographically dispersed or rural healthcare facilities
Capitals
Short-term impact
- Current courier schedules and service models are designed to balance efficiency and reliability in delivering blood products to patients, however they sometimes do not align with clinical urgency or patient expectations
- Platelet stocks are currently held in central blood banks, which can delay patient delivery. Expanding distribution into decentralised hubs will bring products closer to patients and shorten turnaround times while increasing associated costs
Long-term considerations
- SANBS remains committed to improving product accessibility, particularly through smart fridges, satellite blood banks, a more diverse distribution of stock, and optimised courier partnerships
- Exploring scalable, innovative models for getting blood products directly to patients is now central to SANBS’ strategic goal of connecting patients to products
Effect on business model and strategy
These trade-offs highlight the tension between maintaining cost-effective operations and delivering a patient-centred experience, an essential focus of SANBS’ new ‘Serving with Heart’ strategy.
While immediate expansion of delivery infrastructure may not be viable, SANBS is actively laying the groundwork for future innovations that bring lifesaving products closer to the point of care without compromising safety, efficiency, or financial stability.
Stakeholders impacted
Risk
- Increased costs in blood delivery
Balancing altruism and donor incentives
While tokens of appreciation may support donor retention and show gratitude, they also introduce a tension between reinforcing the spirit of voluntary donation and creating expectations of reward. Striking this balance is essential to maintain the core values of altruism and community care that define SANBS’ mission
Capitals impacted
- Social and Relationship Capital – Maintaining public trust in voluntary donation and deepening community engagement
- Human Capital – Strengthening donor loyalty and retention through recognition and appreciation
- Financial Capital – Managing the cost implications of potential donor incentives
Capitals
Short-term impact
- Tokens of appreciation may improve donor satisfaction and loyalty, contributing to more stable blood supply levels
Long-term considerations
- Over-reliance on incentives could shift perceptions of donation from a voluntary act of service to a transactional exchange, potentially eroding public trust and changing the donor culture
Effect on business model and strategy
SANBS is engaging stakeholders to better understand how donor recognition is perceived and to co-develop an approach that acknowledges donor loyalty while preserving the integrity of voluntary, altruistic blood donation.
As part of the ‘Serving with Heart’ strategy, SANBS is exploring ways to deepen donor connection, enhance the overall donation experience, and encourage regular, lifelong donation.
Stakeholders impacted
Risk
- Providing tokens of appreciation for every donation may lead to perception of moving away from voluntary non-remunerated blood donation