The New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) is experiencing ongoing growth in demand for blood products, and the need to meet those demands sustainably, requires strong and ongoing relationships with existing donors and the ability to grow new donor capacity.

Joshua Bankers, who took up the role as Executive Director, Digital Technology & Information Management for NZBS in 2021, leads the team planning and implementing several systems, processes, and capability changes to support the donor experience.  

These include:

• A donor relationship management solution (DRM), 
• Donor wi-fi availability at all donation sites, including mobile units 
• Digital, self-administered health questionnaires, including modern identification and authentication
• Complaints management being centralised into a single source 
• The digitisation of paper-based donor files
• Technology solutions at all new nationwide collection sites
• Updating donor mobile collection units with modern mobile technology
• Donor floor automation, including data capture, business process workflow and reporting

Within NZBS there are processes associated with Donor Adverse Events (DAEs).  This happens when a blood, plasma or platelet collection is made and the donor experiences some sort of reaction e.g., fainting.  The process around these events is vital for donor care, continuous improvement and ensuring that NZBS has a safe and trusted service, says Bankers.  

Historically the DAE process has been primarily paper-based with physical records used to capture events and then some of the data entered into a limited access database.  

The process was susceptible to error and required improvement, including digitisation and automation.  The areas identified for improvement included:

•  Paper-based forms; these meant data they captured wasn’t searchable, was inconsistent, and was difficult to locate.  Forms were also passed from person to person as part of the process, creating unpredictability and timing challenges.
• The existing database was unsupported, difficult to operate, and had limited access and controls. 
• There was no full reaction history for a donor available in one place.

“During the last 12 months an innovative solution has been implemented using several technology elements.  The solution enables accurate donor adverse event data that is secure, reportable, and readily accessible to those who need it,” says Bankers.  

End-to-end DAE processes have been digitised with defined business process workflows, integrations, data capture and reporting. 

The solution is based on a business process automation platform with a digital user interface empowered by wi-fi-enabled mobile devices available on the donor floor.

Metrics and key performance indicators look at events nationwide, per site and per process.  Areas such as frequency, type of reaction, demographics and location are all immediately available.  These metrics are operationally used on a daily/weekly basis where the focus is care and follow-up.  At a clinical level, the metrics are used for overall monitoring, improvement, and comparison to international benchmarks.

A mindset of influence

Prior to Bankers joining the NZBS Executive team the CIO role of the organisation had not been part of the Executive Leadership Team.  “I viewed this as a signal of intent from the organisation regarding the importance and recognition of Digital Technology and Information’s role within the organisation and have continued to influence from that position,” says Bankers.

He spent the first 30 days meeting people, understanding key stakeholders’ perspectives, and analysing what challenges and capabilities existed, and what was working well; “effectively a current state assessment so I could operate from a position of knowledge.  I produced a report and presentation for my ELT colleagues and invited their feedback to test the accuracy of my observations and opinions.” 

The feedback from the initial 30-day assessment enabled him to check and adjust his understanding and change the direction he set.  As part of this work identifying ‘quick wins’ was key.  “By subsequently delivering these, I gained credibility and support within the organisation.”

The next focus was establishing consistent, structured communications and interactions across the ELT the Digital Team and the organisation as a whole.  This incorporates several activities/channels of activity including:

• A monthly newsletter penned by Bankers and communicated across the Digital Team (including vendors).  
• A monthly Digital Team ‘town hall’ where ELT colleagues are invited to present
• Presenting a monthly Digital Technology Executive report to the ELT forum
• Monthly 1:1 check in sessions with ELT colleagues
• Regular intranet articles highlighting the technology team’s work across the organisation, e.g., cyber awareness campaigns.

“I use these channels (and more) because simply influencing the Board and ELT directly is not enough.  Working with my own function/team and staff from other teams, while also leveraging third party (outside the organisation) relationships is vital.”

Working collaboratively as an ELT member to help set the organisation’s direction and/or problem solve is key, adds Bankers. “I continue to adopt a ‘mindset of influence’, to be an expert in my area and to operate the Digital Technology & Information Management team and capabilities for the best organisational outcomes.”