Logistics and procurement partner for Dutch hospitals since 2009, Zorgservice XL was facing inefficiencies caused by fragmented tools and scattered data across platforms. In order to increase both efficiency and performance, the company chose to transition to a unified solution capable of supporting its mission to deliver excellent healthcare logistics. Odoo’s all-in-one management system has been implemented and has ever since offered strong and impressive results. 

From fragmented tools to a unified system to manage the business

Founded in 2009 in the Netherlands, Zorgservice XL has one goal: make healthcare more affordable, efficient and sustainable. The company supports affiliated hospitals with professional and cost-effective services for purchasing, logistics, and invoicing. Bundling purchasing volumes and using a joint distribution center allows the company to contribute to more budget-friendly healthcare. 

In order to manage its operations, the organization was using several management tools, some of them customized, including SAP, Negometrix, Connect Solutions, Qlik, and Zetes. This led to a fragmented IT landscape and inefficient processes. Indeed, data was spread across different systems, implying duplicate work, limited visibility, and error-prone flows, specifically in the following areas:

• A lot of manual order processing (80% via scanning, 20% via webshop);

• Difficulties in matching invoices with delivery notes

• Outdated ticketing system for field service

• Lack of visibility into return flows and inventory management

• Need for better reporting results tools and analysis capabilities

Zorgservice XL started comparing several software packages, such as Kerridge Commercial Systems, Domani Business Solutions (SAP), Pantheon Oculus Online ERP, Prodin Business Solutions, and Odoo.

After a thorough investigation, the company chose to gather all its operations under one roof: Odoo’s all-in-one management system. Indeed, the platform offers:

• Quick and flexible implementation, with features that are easy to adapt to specific needs; 

• Good Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), with low investment and high ROI; 

• Reliable and centralized Single Point of Truth (SPoT); 

• User-friendly interface with broad functionalities; 

• Complete integration between the different modules used.

A process-driven implementation of Odoo’s solution

When the decision was made to transition from SAP and the other tools to Odoo’s all-in-one management system, a key requirement expressed by the 1700 users was to avoid creating a copy of the old SAP. Instead, the idea was to streamline the front-end, redesigning processes and adapting working methods. With this purpose in mind, a shift was made in the mindset, from system- to process-oriented working, with a focus set on collaboration, standardization, and ease of use. 

The team decided to align as closely as possible with Odoo’s standard features to limit customization, increase future manageability and simplify maintenance. The idea was also to involve end users to proactively improve workflows in order to strengthen further support and adoption.  

The implementation process started in March 2023 and ended in December that same year. It was conducted with the valuable help of Cravit, an Odoo Gold partner, who followed a step-by-step approach:

Analysis of processes and IT landscape

Configuration and setup of the modules

Training of the employees

Test phase and fine-tuning 

Go live of the platform, with a thorough follow-up

A fun fact is that some colleagues thought they were not so digital friendly, and suddenly they turned out to be Odoo experts. Surprises like that made the process not only educational, but also enjoyable!” - Markus Auer - Project Manager at Zorgservice XL

Unlocking efficiency, saving time, making smarter decisions: Odoo’s impact on Zorgservice XL’s operations

Implementing Odoo’s centralized and integrated management platform made it possible for Zorgservice XL to review and simplify its processes as well as to make the most of the standard features. Significantly reducing complexity and resulting in faster implementation and better manageability, the company noticed huge improvements in many areas of the business:

• 360 degrees overview of operations: Thanks to Odoo’s flexibility, multiple hospitals can now be served on a single platform, with room for local nuances, while maintaining central control and global overview. A focus has been placed on more collaboration and uniformity between the diverse entities, but still taking into account the specific needs of each location. 

• User-friendly interface appreciated by 74% of users: Odoo’s intuitive and user-friendly interface contributed to faster acceptance among end users. This was essential to ensure a smooth transition from a system- to a process-oriented approach. An opinion poll showed that 74% of users indicate that Odoo offers clear improvements over the previous system. 

• Centralized and up-to-date data and reports: Working from one integrated system, a Single Point of Truth (SPoT), brings together all parties who now have access to up-to-date, unambiguous information, and accurate reports. It prevents double and manual entry, reduces the risk of errors, and enables faster and better-informed decisions. 

• Increased efficiency, saving a few hours per week per employee: Process turnaround times have significantly reduced thanks to automation. Purchasing, logistics and invoicing workflows are better aligned and offer faster processing and less reliance on manual controls. This saves several hours per week per employee, which can be used for further optimization and new projects. 

• Improved transparency and smoother flow in the chain: Both internal teams and affiliated hospitals benefit from better insights into statuses, deliveries, and costs. Loading times of the online store are noticeably shorter, ensuring a smoother shopping experience and faster order processing. Optimized routes and inventory management result in fewer shortages and surpluses and quicker delivery to the hospitals.  

• More room to scale and grow: Odoo’s standardization helps Zorgservice XL to scale up more easily and implement continuous improvements without hassle or extra costs. 

Based on user experiences and data insights, Zorgservice XL plans to continuously refine the current setup with further optimizations. For instance, improving data quality and reporting is an important part of the strategy, as it plays a key role in the management of performance, delivery reliability and cost control. On the other hand, attention is being paid to strengthening cooperation with affiliated hospitals in order to keep pursuing the goal of achieving affordable, efficient, and future-proof healthcare logistics. 

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