The client
The client is a large healthcare network headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, with hospitals and administrative facilities across Southeast Asia.
Hospitals, departments, stores and administrative offices all buy what they need through a central procurement team. Purchasing processes were already defined, but the work of raising, approving and tracking each request was still done by hand.
The challenge
Purchase requests arrived by email and lived in spreadsheets. Approvers had to be chased, and requesters could not see where a request stood.
- Requests were submitted manually and tracked in spreadsheets and email.
- Approvals needed repeated follow-ups, which delayed purchases.
- Nobody had a clear view of open requests and their progress.
- Each facility followed the process a little differently.
What they set up in Asset Infinity
The network moved purchasing into Asset Infinity’s Suppliers feature, with one request form, defined approval stages and purchase orders tracked in one place.
Purchase requests from every facility
Hospitals, departments, stores and administrative offices raise purchase requests in one system instead of by email. (Suppliers)
Approval stages by request type
Approval steps were configured without code for different kinds of purchase request, with reminders when an approval waits too long. (Platform)
Purchase orders tracked
Approved requests become purchase orders, and their progress is tracked through to receiving. (Suppliers)
Procurement in view
Dashboards show open requests, pending approvals and purchase orders across the network, so the procurement team knows what needs attention. (Insight)
How it works day to day
Here is how a purchase now moves from request to order.
- Department staff: raise a purchase request. A ward, store or office raises a purchase request in the web app, listing the items, quantities and the reason for the purchase.
- System: routes it for approval. The request follows the approval stages set for its type. Each approver is notified when it reaches them.
- Approver: approves or returns it. The approver reviews the request and approves it or sends it back with a comment. A request left waiting triggers a reminder.
- Procurement team: issues the purchase order. An approved request becomes a purchase order to the chosen supplier, linked back to the original request.
- Requester: follows progress. The person who asked can see whether the request is pending, approved or ordered, without emailing to ask.
- Stores: receive the goods. When the goods arrive, they are received against the purchase order, which closes the loop on the request.
- Procurement head: reviews the pipeline. Dashboards show open requests, stuck approvals and orders by facility, so delays are dealt with early.
Before and after
| Before | With Asset Infinity | |
|---|---|---|
| Raising a request | Email and manual submissions | One request form for every facility |
| Tracking | Spreadsheets | Requests and orders tracked in one system |
| Approvals | Repeated follow-ups and delays | Defined approval stages |
| Visibility | Limited view of request status | Central view of requests, approvals and orders |
| Consistency | Processes varied between facilities | One workflow across hospitals and offices |
How it rolled out
- Process reviewed. The team reviewed purchasing practices, manual steps, approval delays and visibility gaps.
- Workflows and approvals configured. Procurement workflows and approval stages were set to match the network’s own purchasing rules.
- Teams trained and supported. Procurement teams were trained, then workflows were monitored and refined as they were used.
The results
- Purchase requests from all departments and facilities in one place
- Faster processing through defined approval workflows
- Clear visibility of requests, approvals and procurement progress
- Less spreadsheet tracking and fewer follow-ups
- One purchasing process across hospitals, departments and offices
- Better coordination between requesters, approvers and procurement
Why it worked
Existing rules kept
The network already had purchasing rules. Asset Infinity was configured to follow them, so staff learned a new tool, not a new process.
Approvals that move
Defined stages and reminders keep requests moving without anyone chasing approvers by email.
One view for everyone
Requesters, approvers and buyers see the same request, so status questions are answered on screen.
Looking ahead
The healthcare network moved from manual procurement to one digital purchasing process across its hospitals, departments and administrative facilities.
Requests, approvals and purchase orders now follow structured workflows. That has cut manual effort, sped up approvals and given the procurement team a clear view of every purchase in progress.