By building a machine learning model, the LEK Consulting data and analytics team delivered a best-in-class centre improvement for more than 50 blood donation centres in Germany, making improvements of up to 40%. The team was able to determine the key drivers of centre performance and each centre’s optimal value across the country, which in turn improved donor access and heightened monitoring of the centres.
“Great project. Loved the approach and the heterogeneity of methods use to deliver the solution.” – Judges’ comment
Over the course of six weeks, LEK engaged with a European blood donation chain that pays donors. The client had experienced a decline in centre performance – notably higher costs for reduced donations – and asked LEK to determine what was driving the performance, as well as creating a best-in-class process to improve performance.
LEK Consulting developed a dashboard that allowed the client to monitor and track live centre progress towards achieving optimal values in one place. This was then further categorised into modules that provided a set of best practices to be shared regionally, plus four archetypes which aided tailored recommendations for each centre based on unique challenges. Module 1 analysed catchment data to uncover key insights to feed the machine learning model, Module 2 conducted qualitative assessments of the centres for best practice findings and Module 3 focused on the performance drivers and locating optimal values through machine learning.
The LEK team analysed catchment data for the 50+ donation centres, exploring external behaviour across four categories: population, socio-economic factors, geography (including cannibalisation and network synergies) and competitive disruption. LEK concluded that the client was suffering from a lack of machines, staff, new donors and recurring donors which could then be addressed in a centre-by-centre approach.
The results of LEK Consulting’s work saw an increase in the amount and frequency of donations being made as well as sourcing multiple cost-saving measures without impacting the performance of the centres. Every two months this process is repeated to maintain extremely high levels of quality, compliance and accessibility for donors.
