UNITINGCARE
REFINING SUPPLY CHAIN STRATEGIES IN THE HEALTHCARE SECTOR
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UNITINGCARE ENCOURAGING INNOVATION THROUGH THE SUPPLY CHAIN WRITTEN BY
SEAN GALEA-PACE PRODUCED BY
STUART IRVING
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UNITINGCARE QUEENSLAND
Michael Gillin, General Manager Procurement and Services at UnitingCare discusses the supply chain strategies UnitingCare is utilising amidst rapid industry changes
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s an organisation that puts its people and the community at the forefront of its decisions, UnitingCare understands
the importance of leveraging modern technology and innovation to achieve success in the healthcare industry. 04
Michael Gillin, General Manager Procurement and Services, has overseen how UnitingCare has established and maintained a well-managed strategic function across the business. Having previously worked in management consulting roles at KPMG which took Gillin to Brisbane, Australia, from the UK in 2011, he joined UnitingCare in April 2017. Gillin believes that his previous experience truly laid the groundwork for success in his role with UnitingCare. “A lot of the work I did with KPMG was large-scale global business transformations and most of it was focused around procurement, supply chain and cost reduction,� says Gillin. “In a procurement role, one of the major things that you need to do is engage with suppliers and business stakeholders. With major reform occurring in the aged, health and community
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UNITINGCARE QUEENSLAND
“ I believe a good partner is one that’s aligned to your values and your objectives. It’s a company that’s proactive with you and not just providing a service”
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— Michael Gillin, General Manager Procurement and Services, Unitingcare Queensland
sectors, UnitingCare has had to innovate and make the necessary changes to respond to change. I think my experience in supporting the organisation through that change has afforded me a better understanding of what works and what doesn’t.”
INNOVATION IN THE CARE SECTOR Earlier this year, UnitingCare held a successful Supplier Innovation Tradeshow and Showcase in Queensland, led by Daniela Kerr, Procurement Specialist at UnitingCare. The event exceeded expectations, with over 50
CLICK TO WATCH : ‘CAROLINE’S STORY: I WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE’S LIVES’ 07 of UnitingCare’s key suppliers attend-
UnitingCare’s network of hospitals
ing the trade show. “The theme of the
continue to excel in being recognised
show was sustainability and innovation
for their clinical expertise and use of
and there were lots of advanced technol-
cutting-edge medical technology.
ogies from different suppliers show-
Last year, UnitingCare’s Wesley Hospital
casing new, innovative products and
was internationally recognised as
services,” explains Gillin. “The feed-
Australia’s first Centre of Excellence in
back from everyone in attendance has
Robotic Surgery, one of only 10 hospitals
been fantastic and it made all the hard
worldwide at the time and recently
work worthwhile.”
opened a new Emergency Centre at
Having centred its expo around innovation, Gillin affirms how important it is to
Buderim Private on the Sunshine Coast. “In our aged, community and disability
continue to develop its services and
business units we have developed
facilities. “Innovation is absolutely critical
an affordable housing strategy and
to us and was a key focus of our expo.”
implementation plan, designed and w w w.uni t i ngc a re ql d. com . a u
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implemented innovative programs to
to support people to life a full life
support children and families in foster
regardless of their circumstance.
and kinship care,” explains Gillin. “We
“I believe we’re an organisation with
have continued to provide expertise
a heart. I love that we’re an organisa-
to support clients transitioning to the
tion with a social purpose and it gives
National Disability Insurance Scheme
me a sense of pride to know what I’m
(NDIS) including the roll-out of digital
doing is contributing to something
applications to assist clients with their
very meaningful.”
NDIS plan management. From a pro-
With technology transforming the
curement and supply chain aspect,
way companies worldwide conduct
we’re interested in the innovation our
business, Gillin understands the value
suppliers can bring into our organisation.”
of implementing it into UnitingCare’s procurement strategy. “I think it’s really
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
important that we try to get an end-
As a not-for-profit organisation, Gillin
to-end solution from our sourcing
affirms UnitingCare’s operations are
platform to our contract and supplier
underpinned and guided by its mission
management platforms. We’ve currently
E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE
Michael Gillin Michael Gillin is a General Manager, Procurement and Services at UnitingCare and has over 18 years’ experience in driving operational efficiencies. Before starting at UnitingCare, Michael spent ten years as a Management Consultant for KPMG in Australia and the UK helping businesses transform operations and reduce costs. Michael also spent seven years in as an Engineer in the automotive industry with Jaguar Land Rover and MG Rover.
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“ I believe we’re an organisation with a heart” — Michael Gillin, General Manager Procurement and Services, Unitingcare Queensland
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got about three or four different solutions
success, Gillin reflects on what his
that work across processes and they’re
organisation looks for when deciding
not all integrated,” he says. “Data is
to embark on a new venture. “I believe
a bit of a challenge at the moment and
a good partner is one that’s aligned to
is critical for us to understand demand
your values and your objectives. It’s
so that we can support the business to
a company that’s proactive with you
be more operationally efficient and
and not just providing a service; it’s
competitive because the industries in
coming to you with ideas and chal-
which we operate are continuing to go
lenging the way that you do things to
through large changes so it’s vital that
help you improve.”
we work out where we fit into that.” Having formed mutually beneficial
After establishing important partnerships with Accenture and Bunzl, Gillin
partnerships with a range of compa-
affirms UnitingCare’s collaboration
nies in order to achieve and sustain
with the two companies are very w w w.uni t i ngc a re ql d. com . a u
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“ Innovation is absolutely critical implemented a procurement hub, which consists of eight Uniting entities across to us and was Australia working collaboratively together a key focus of to deliver procurement benefits,” our expo” explains Gillin. “Accenture are our beneficial. “Led by our Chief Financial
Officer Peter Gunn, we have recently
partner and are responsible for running the hub for us. They’ve been brought on board to bring the organisations together and to run procurement and supply
— Michael Gillin, General Manager Procurement and Services, Unitingcare Queensland
chain initiatives with the goal of reducing costs,” he says. “Bunzl is also a strategic partner to the Uniting Care business; it supports us as one of our major w w w.uni t i ngc a re ql d. com . a u
UNITINGCARE QUEENSLAND
2000
Year founded
17,000
Approximate number of employees
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distributers that services around 500 sites across all of Queensland and the Northern Territory. It’s important that we partner with a supplier that understands our needs and the importance of getting product to our residents, patients and clients in a timely matter to help support their needs.”
LOOKING FORWARD Looking to the future, Gillin has a clear idea of where he anticipates UnitingCare to be over the coming years. “UnitingCare have devised a 2030 strategy which has given us direction around our key focus areas. We’ve got a clear direction of where we want to be, but to be successful it really comes down to people. It’s great to have strategies and become more digital, but it’s important that we don’t lose sight of the fact that we provide care, support and health services to people in need,” says Gillin. “The key is to keep the people we look after at the forefront of everything we’re doing. We are driven to making sure any investment provides the most benefit to our front-line staff and the people that we serve.”
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UnitingCare Queensland 5/192 Ann Street Brisbane Queensland 4000 Australia T +61 7 3253 4000 www.unitingcareqld.com.au