A lifesaving solution: Streamlining PPE for London Ambulance Service
When faced with one of the most challenging crises in modern history, Orderwise, in partnership with London Ambulance Service (LAS), delivered a life-critical solution that ensured frontline teams were fully equipped to continue saving lives. This impactful project was recognised with The Strategy & Design Award at the prestigious Supply Chain Excellence Awards, a reflection of what can be achieved when expertise, collaboration, and rapid action come together.
Rising to the challenge
When COVID-19 hit the UK, the London Ambulance Service NHS Trust faced an unprecedented challenge. As the primary emergency response provider for over 8 million Londoners, their operational workload surged. The pandemic brought a massive increase in demand for equipment and supplies, particularly personal protective equipment (PPE), essential for keeping their ambulance crews safe and operational.
The LAS team needed a solution—and they needed it fast. Stock control was spiraling, warehouses were empty, and the supply chain was under immense strain. With the safety of frontline staff and the public at stake, LAS urgently reached out to Orderwise to restore order and efficiency to their PPE distribution.
Orderwise steps up
Leveraging our experience working with NHS services, such as West Midlands Ambulance University NHS Trust, we acted immediately to design and implement a turnkey solution. Within a 36-hour window of arriving on-site, the Orderwise team transformed an empty warehouse into a fully functioning PPE distribution hub. Despite starting with just two keys and no internet connection, our team established:
- A physical server and network infrastructure, including Wi-Fi.
- A fully integrated Orderwise software system configured with stock locations and real-time tracking capabilities.
- Efficient workflows for stock control, warehouse management, and distribution.
- Deployment of handheld scanners to ensure precise stock receipt and distribution at LAS’s 48 replenishment hubs across London.
Project timeline
LAS contacts Orderwise urgently for assistance with PPE distribution logistics.
Objectives and timescales are agreed upon via conference call.
Orderwise delivers a comprehensive plan for efficient PPE distribution, which is swiftly approved by LAS.
The Orderwise team assembles physical resources and prepares software configurations for the journey to London.
The UK enters its first national lockdown. The Orderwise team arrives at the LAS warehouse and gets the new system up and running within six hours.
Following on-site training of 62 LAS team members, the Orderwise solution is rolled out to five additional LAS hub warehouses.
The one-millionth box of PPE is delivered, marking a huge milestone in this life-saving operation.
The results
The outcome of this project was nothing short of extraordinary:
- 5 fully operational warehouses and 48 replenishment hubs were created to service LAS ambulance crews.
- 62 LAS staff members were trained on-site, with additional training resources left behind to ensure long-term sustainability.
- Over the next 12 weeks, LAS successfully distributed its one-millionth box of PPE, averaging 490 boxes per hour.
Emily Grist, Performance Improvement Manager – Fleet and Logistics at LAS, praised the collaboration:
“We were able to transform a warehouse in Deptford, in which we set up as a distribution hub for PPE. We worked in partnership with Orderwise, a company which specialises in stock control and order processing software. This helped us to identify gaps, gain knowledge and develop skills for our logistics team to sustain this process long-term. It has allowed for us to have a fully integrated software system which helps increase efficiency, productivity and accuracy amongst our PPE operations. It is intelligence-led, which means it forecasts what we need based on factors such as number of calls we receive and number of vehicles going through each ambulance station. I would like to thank all of the team for helping us achieve this.”
The Award: A testament to collaboration and innovation
Winning The Strategy & Design Award at the Supply Chain Excellence Awards is a reflection of what can be achieved when innovation, speed, and collaboration align. The judges recognised how the Orderwise solution empowered LAS to overcome significant challenges during a time of national crisis.
By implementing a robust and scalable stock control and warehouse management system in record time, LAS could focus on what mattered most: keeping London safe and ensuring their teams on the frontline were fully equipped to continue their life-saving work.
A proud moment for Orderwise
At Orderwise, we are incredibly proud to have supported London Ambulance Service during such a critical period. This award not only celebrates our partnership but also highlights the positive impact technology and teamwork can have in times of adversity.
Together, Orderwise and LAS proved that even in the face of a global crisis, solutions can be delivered at speed, innovation can flourish, and lives can be protected. This award-winning project stands as a testament to the resilience and dedication of everyone involved.