Data and Analytics

The Data and Analytics team within the Technology Services department of National Procurement delivers a comprehensive suite of services dedicated to enhancing operational efficiency, supporting informed strategic decision-making, and driving continuous innovation across health and social care settings.

By integrating advanced technical solutions and fostering close collaboration with stakeholders, the department plays a pivotal role in enabling data-driven transformation across the organisation.

The team’s expertise spans dashboard development and visualisation, advanced reporting, automation, predictive analytics and data integration. Interactive dashboards—developed using leading platforms such as Tableau and Power BI—offer real-time insights by consolidating information from various systems, including PECOS, Dispatcher, NP eFinancials, and Genesis. These tools empower users to monitor procurement, inventory, and operational performance efficiently.

In addition, the department delivers bespoke reporting solutions and leverages automation to reduce manual workloads, freeing up valuable staff time for higher-value activities. Predictive analytics and modelling, underpinned by cloud-based technology and machine learning, guide proactive decision-making in areas such as demand planning and risk assessment.

Core Service Areas

Dashboard Development and Visualisation

The team designs and maintains interactive dashboards using platforms such as Tableau and Power BI. These dashboards consolidate data from multiple sources—including PECOS, Dispatcher, NP eFinancials, and Genesis—to provide real-time insights.

Advanced Reporting and Automation

Through tools like BusinessObjects (BOXI), the department creates, and schedules bespoke reports tailored to stakeholder needs. Automation initiatives have significantly reduced manual reporting time, enabling staff to focus on higher-value tasks.

Predictive Analytics and Modelling

Leveraging cloud-based platforms and machine learning capabilities, the team supports predictive modelling for demand planning, risk assessment, and casework triaging. This empowers proactive decision-making and enhances service continuity.

Data Integration and Warehousing

The department is actively developing the Genesis data warehouse to support stock management and scan-for-safety initiatives. Genesis is the national inventory management system used by NHS Scotland, designed to track, monitor, and optimise stock levels of medical and non-medical supplies across health boards. This system plays a crucial role in supporting operational efficiency, patient safety, and robust procurement practices by providing a single source of truth for inventory data. The development work includes integrating data feeds from multiple systems to ensure structured, secure, and automated data management.

Stakeholder Engagement and Training

The team facilitates training sessions, feedback loops, and collaborative development to ensure tools are user-centric and aligned with operational needs. This includes support for BOXI, Power BI adoption and dashboard experimentation across departments.

Ultimately, Data and Analytics underpins a data and insight service delivery model, contributing to the digital transformation of NHS Scotland, maintaining high standards of data assurance, and promoting the democratisation of insights to nurture a data-curious organisational culture.