Smart Dubai, the government entity that is leading the emirate’s smart transformation, has announced an upgrade of its “Smart Inventory” application in collaboration with the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). The aim of the upgrade is to reportedly enhance its current inventory management system and “render them paperless and more efficient, all the while utilising advanced technologies and smart solutions to save time,” the office revealed in a statement. 

Part of Dubai’s Government Resource Planning (GRP) system, “Smart Inventory” specialises in managing the emirate’s stock of medicines, and ensuring the prevention of shortages. The app works by processing warehousing transactions and tracking the supply chain of medicines from anywhere using a portable device, such as a smartphone or tablet. This therefore allows government entities to access inventory in real-time.

THE LARGER CONTEXT

Advanced features of “Smart Inventory” include allowing health authorities to “receive, inspect, and hand over medications for every purchase order”, as well as “tracking these products and facilitating internal shipments”.

According to Smart Dubai, the application will help cut paper consumption by 1.2 million sheets every year, reducing transaction time by up to 30% for all medicine supply operations. Meanwhile, entities will be able to streamline operations and cut costs due to regulation of workflow and the reduction of human error.

The “Smart Inventory” project is not only in line with Smart Dubai’s overall role, but also in line with the objectives of the “Dubai Paperless Strategy” that aims to transform the emirate into a paperless city by 2021.

“Collaborating with our strategic government partners allows us to offer unique services and applications that truly contribute to accelerating Dubai’s full digital transformation,” said HE Wesam Lootah, CEO of Smart Dubai. “The ‘Smart Inventory’ app, which was developed in partnership with the DHA, presents an opportunity for health institutions in Dubai to offer best-in-class services, while optimising the management of their resources. 

“The application also paves the way for achieving the objectives of the Dubai Paperless Strategy by cutting paper consumption in health-related transactions and fully digitising health services.”

ON THE RECORD

Ali Al Sayed, director of pharmaceutical services at the DHA added that “this step represents an important addition to DHA’s pharmaceutical services, which are based on the best programmes, applications and smart solutions for storing and dispensing medication through the smart pharmacies that DHA established in its hospitals three years ago.”

He continued: “The DHA spares no effort in continuously updating medication storage and dispensing systems, to ensure that it reaches people safely and easily.

“With the launch of the smart pharmacies, dispensing medication now doesn’t exceed two minutes.”