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The best COVID-19 vaccine management software: Top options compared
COVID-19 vaccine management has become a hot space in enterprise software with vendors offering something new almost weekly. Enterprises have a lot to wade through.
We curated some of the efforts to speed up the homework. Here's a look at the best COVID-19 vaccine management platforms so far. To decide on a vaccine management tool, enterprises need to consider a few variables. For instance:
- Is the path of least resistance tying vaccine management to a current system and/or function within the company?
- Will vaccine management be more of an ongoing service, workflow tool?
- Can you add on to an existing platform or do you require consultants and something custom?
- And does vaccine management represent an ongoing IT purchase beyond the pandemic?
Pondering some of those questions may reveal a lot about what software vendor to choose. For instance, a Workday customer may see vaccine management as an extension of human capital management. ServiceNow customers may find it easier to add vaccine management as part of overall workflow processes. Salesforce's Vaccine Cloud will already have integration with existing systems that are used by healthcare and government entities.
Also: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates and News Healthline
Other vendors also have vaccine management platforms but may require consultants and additional services. Microsoft, IBM, and Zendesk are just a few of the companies that have vaccine management platforms that are more integrated with services.
Here's a look at the key vaccine management software vendors and platforms.
When the COVID-19 forced enterprises to move to remote work models, Salesforce was among the first enterprise vendors to offer management tools for the new normal. In 2020, Salesforce launched Work.com and has been iterating ever since.
Vaccine management was an extension of Work.com, but now has its own cloud that is designed for public sector customers. Vaccine Cloud is a configuration of core Salesforce apps (Health Cloud, Service Cloud, Experience Cloud, Digital Engagement), Platform (Lightning Platform), Tableau, and MuleSoft for governments and businesses.
Vaccine Cloud includes monitoring, inventory checks, analytics, and local and community data. Salesforce has also aggregated a playbook derived from customer experiences.
ServiceNow's Vaccine Administration Management is a subscription add-on that aims to offer self-service to solve for the last mile of vaccine delivery. Like Salesforce, ServiceNow moved quickly to launch return-to-work software and workflows.
Vaccine Administration Management has a mobile and desktop experience, tracking for vaccine delivery and inventory management as well as scheduling tools and ongoing monitoring.
Workday has added vaccine management to its Return to Workplace offering.
Workday has added a control center to analyze vaccine availability and status for workers based on location, region, and office space requirements.
IBM has a series of offerings that play into vaccine management. For instance, IBM's Digital Health Pass serves as a passport for COVID-19 safety and vaccine management. IBM is also integrated with Salesforce's Work.com platform as well as Workday and ServiceNow. IBM also has supply chain, healthcare records, and blockchain technologies.
Others to explore:
- Microsoft has a vaccine management platform that is delivered via partners such as EY, Accenture and other partners.
- Oracle Cloud is helping the US Center for Disease Control manage COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
- Zendesk is extending its platform to vaccine management via a partnership with Tata Consultancy Services.