Introduction

As healthcare organizations continue to embrace digital transformation, providing staff with fast and secure access to critical information has become essential. Helora, one of Belgium’s largest hospital groups, launched a digital strategy focused on improving operational efficiency and supporting healthcare professionals with modern digital tools.

Working closely with IRIS IMS, Helora successfully implemented a proof of concept that demonstrated how administrative processes could be streamlined and digital content made more accessible while maintaining strict security standards. The project evolved into the deployment of a centralized information management platform that simplified access to documents, improved collaboration between departments, and supported the group’s broader digital transformation objectives.

Organisation

Helora

Country

Belgium

Sector

Public

Partner

IRIS Solutions & Experts SA

Project Overview

With more than 5,500 employees and physicians, Helora brings together a network of healthcare institutions operating across Brabant Wallon and Hainaut. As part of its ongoing digital strategy, the hospital group sought a document management platform capable of simplifying access to information while supporting existing systems and processes.

Following a demonstration organized by IRIS IMS and a successful proof of concept, Helora identified significant opportunities to improve administrative efficiency through digital transformation. The platform demonstrated clear benefits in process simplification, advanced search capabilities, ease of consultation, and seamless integration through APIs and web services. These capabilities aligned closely with Helora’s vision of creating a centralized environment where information could be accessed quickly and securely.

Challenge

Before the implementation of IRISNext, information was distributed across multiple systems and applications used throughout the organization. Finding the right document often required navigating several software platforms, increasing the time needed to retrieve information and creating unnecessary complexity for users.

Helora’s primary objectives were to simplify the use of digital tools, reduce the time spent searching and processing information, and provide employees with a faster way to access relevant content. One of the greatest challenges was consolidating information from different systems into a single platform while maintaining secure access controls and ensuring a consistent user experience across departments.

The organization also required a solution capable of integrating with existing applications already deployed throughout the hospital network, ensuring that users could continue working within a familiar environment while benefiting from a centralized information management approach.

Solution

To address these challenges, IRIS IMS implemented IRISNext as a transversal information management platform connecting existing systems across the Helora environment. The solution was designed to provide a simple and intuitive user experience while enabling seamless communication between IRISNext and third-party applications already in use throughout the group.

Through a single platform, users can now access documents originating from multiple sources according to their individual access rights and permissions. The integration architecture ensures that information remains connected while providing a unified search and consultation experience.

Several departments have already adopted the platform, including Human Resources, the Intranet team, Medical Management, Quality Management, Legal Services, and Insurance. By centralizing information and making documents available through a common interface, IRISNext has simplified information access while maintaining governance and security requirements.

For the Quality Department, the platform now provides direct access to key documentation, including quality manuals (MAQ), quality plans (POL), general procedures (PRO), technical procedures (PRT), work instructions (INT), registration documents (ENR), and external documents (EXT), all accessible through a single search environment.

"Today, thanks to the solutions provided by IRIS, a user can – with a simple quick search – access all these documents simultaneously, subject to the access rights associated with their user profile. A concrete example for the quality department: the following items are now accessible via the IRISNext application: Quality Manual (MAQ), Quality Plan (POL), General Procedure (PRO), Technical Procedure (PRT) for medical technicians, Work Instruction (INT), Record Document (ENR) or External Document (EXT)

The time saved when processing and searching for information is achieved through a significant reduction in operational processes, which is a particularly important factor in the hospital sector."

Results

The deployment of IRISNext delivered immediate operational benefits throughout the organization. Employees can now locate information through a single search rather than navigating multiple applications, significantly reducing the time required to find and consult documents.

Administrative processes have been simplified through the centralization of information and the reduction of operational steps previously required to access content. Users benefit from a more intuitive experience, while role-based access rights ensure that information remains available only to authorized personnel.

The reduction in document retrieval and processing time has contributed directly to operational efficiency, an important outcome within the healthcare sector where rapid access to information can support day-to-day activities and decision-making. By bringing information together on a unified platform, Helora has established a more efficient and accessible digital working environment for its employees and medical staff.

Conclusion

Through the implementation of IRISNext, Helora successfully advanced its digital transformation strategy by centralizing information management and simplifying access to critical documents across the organization. The project enabled the hospital group to streamline administrative processes, improve information retrieval, and provide employees with a single point of access to content distributed across multiple systems.

Built on a successful proof of concept and supported by seamless integration capabilities, the solution provides a strong foundation for future digital initiatives. By making information more accessible while maintaining appropriate security controls, Helora has strengthened operational efficiency and enhanced the digital support available to healthcare professionals.