Why connected systems are the backbone of patient-centered care

To deliver one patient interaction, a million things are happening in the background, from scheduling and staffing to billing and ordering supplies. But patients don’t see any of that. One glitch—a delay, a missing supply, a confused staff member—can break their trust. Digital tools can streamline and elevate interactions, but when systems are disconnected, even the best intentions fall short. That disconnect creates what we call the “value void”, the gap between technology investments and real-world impact. Understanding how leading organizations close that gap is critical to improving both operations and patient care.

Infor’s How Possible Happens research set out to understand what differentiates high-performing healthcare organizations. The findings revealed four key vectors of success:

• Streamlined processes and systems
• Organizational agility and future-readiness
• A culture of data-driven decision-making
• A deep commitment to patient-centric care

In this blog series, we’re breaking down how each of these vectors supports better healthcare delivery, starting with the foundation: processes and systems.

Modernizing healthcare operations

Operational complexity isn’t a new problem in healthcare, but it has grown harder to manage, particularly as resources continue to get cut. Top-performing healthcare systems have figured out how to stay ahead: they’re replacing fragmented processes with connected tools that work together in real time, bridging the gap between back-office operations and frontline care. Infor’s research points to two key strategies behind this shift:

• Designing more efficient workflows to eliminate bottlenecks and reduce manual work
• Adopting digital tools that provide real-time visibility across departments and functions

How Infor helps transform the way your teams work

Infor’s healthcare-specific platform unifies operational, financial, and clinical workflows, creating real-time visibility and efficiency across the organization. Here are a few examples of how that translates into greater efficiency and better patient outcomes:

1. Creating real-time visibility across systems

With Infor CloudSuite Healthcare, teams can consolidate critical data streams, avoiding errors, duplication, and delays caused by siloes. Connected with EHRs using Clinical Bridge, it gives teams a real-time view of supplies, preference card data, and inventory — all within the ERP. This ensures that the right supplies are ready before each procedure, helping avoid delays, improve patient care, and support staff efficiency.

2. Improving interoperability and cutting manual work with FHIR

Manual data entry and disconnected systems waste time and drive up operational costs. Infor’s Cloverleaf® integration engine uses healthcare-specific standards like HL7 and FHIR to allow smoother data exchange between EHRs, payer systems, and clinical platforms. This reduces the need for manual reconciliations and speeds up processes like prior authorizations and CMS reporting, which rely heavily on the exchange of data, so staff can focus on patient care, not paperwork.

3. Supporting frontline staff through AI and automation

Burnout, labor shortages, and shifting expectations put intense pressure on frontline teams. With AI and automation designed for healthcare’s unique needs, organizations can ease these pressures and improve staff satisfaction. Infor’s platform supports:

• Intelligent staffing that aligns caregiver availability and skills with patient needs
• Real-time inventory tracking that triggers automated replenishment
• Mobile self-service tools that empower frontline workers to manage schedules on the go

These advanced tools reduce administrative burden and support better work-life balance, while enhancing responsiveness at every level.

4. Using embedded analytics to address bottlenecks

With access to the right insights, leaders can course-correct faster and operate more efficiently. When data is buried in silos, it’s hard to spot and fix issues quickly. Infor’s embedded analytics include over 70 dashboards showing trends in:

• Staffing efficiency
• Supply chain performance
• Patient flow

With these insights baked into everyday workflows, leaders can take quicker action, making continuous improvement part of how the organization runs.

Better systems, better care

Disconnected processes don’t just slow down operations, they impact the quality of care. By aligning systems, workflows, and data, healthcare organizations can:

• Break down silos
  
• Empower their workforce
  
• Deliver more coordinated, timely care

With Infor’s healthcare solutions, organizations can turn this vision into reality, delivering truly connected, patient-centered care.

Coming up next: How Infor’s GenAI and robotic process automation tools help health systems become more agile, adaptable, and future-ready.