A smarter, more connected healthcare system 

As demand for pathology services surges, Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology has partnered with consulting firm ARKANCE to embark on a digital transformation journey. Today, the private provider is at the forefront of Australia’s healthcare landscape thanks to cutting-edge digital modelling and streamlined workflows.

When the pandemic hit, Australia’s pathology sector became one of the country’s most critical lines of defence. Behind every PCR result was a complex network of laboratories processing tens of thousands of samples daily. For Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology (SNP), one of Sonic Healthcare’s flagship laboratories, that surge underscored an urgent need: efficiency wasn’t just an operational advantage, it was a matter of national health resilience.

“We process tens of thousands of samples every day, 24/7,” says Alan Drew, project manager at SNP. “The challenge for us is getting timely, accurate results back to practitioners across that entire network.”

As demand for diagnostic testing continues to accelerate with Australia’s ageing population, private providers like SNP face pressure to do more with less. Margins are tightening under Medicare’s fixed rebates, while patient volumes and expectations rise. For SNP, it became clear that automation and digital transformation would be vital to meet these challenges head-on.

In 2016, SNP outgrew its suburban laboratory in Taringa and moved into a new, purpose-built facility at Bowen Hills: a complex, hospital-grade environment housing advanced diagnostic technology and high-throughput analysers. But as the facility expanded again in 2023, the challenge wasn’t just physical space – it was data, process, and people.

“The laboratory is constantly changing,” Drew says. “We’re bringing in new instruments all the time, each with unique power, data and mechanical requirements. Keeping everything up-to-date and compliant was becoming unmanageable without a unified digital system.”

To stay ahead, SNP decided to adopt Building Information Modelling (BIM) – a government-mandated policy in public healthcare projects that integrates detailed building and equipment data into one living digital model. While not required to do so as a private provider, SNP made a deliberate choice to meet the same standards.

“Adopting BIM isn’t something we had to do,” says Drew. “But it’s something we chose to do to demonstrate leadership, credibility and competitiveness. It gives us the edge to stay at the forefront of the industry.”

To bring that vision to life, SNP partnered with ARKANCE, a globally recognised leader in digital transformation, best known for delivering end-to-end technology solutions across architecture, engineering and construction industries. For ARKANCE, the project marked a unique step into healthcare and a chance to apply digital transformation principles to a sector where precision and efficiency can literally save lives.

ARKANCE provided both the technology and training to consolidate SNP’s multiple building models into a single, integrated 3D system using Revit and AutoCAD. The goal: create a single, data-rich source of truth for the entire pathology campus, covering both the original building and its 2023 expansion.

But what made the difference, Drew says, was ARKANCE’s on-ground support.

“We opted to bring an ARKANCE trainer on site for six months,” he says. “She didn’t just teach Revit, she embedded herself in the lab, learning how things worked, how samples moved, how equipment was positioned. That hands-on understanding added enormous value.”

The investment paid off. Within six months, SNP’s design and facilities management team went from mixed software proficiency to being fully trained in 3D modelling and digital workflow management.

“We now have a reference library of designs, processes and digital assets,” says Drew. “That means when something changes – a new analyser, new space requirements, new regulatory standards – we can adapt quickly and accurately. The days of hunting through old plans are over.”

Beyond improved training and planning, the new system has a real-world impact. SNP can now simulate and prepare for expansions, maintenance, and new technology installations before they happen, minimising downtime in critical diagnostic areas.

“We can pull data directly from our models,” Drew says. “For example, how much power or air conditioning capacity we’ll need if we add a new analyser. It’s all about having foresight rather than reacting later. That’s what keeps the business efficient and sustainable.”

Drew says that what SNP and ARKANCE have built is more than a digital twin of a pathology lab: it’s a model for how technology can empower the broader healthcare ecosystem. As automation deepens and digital workflows become the norm, the lessons from this collaboration have implications far beyond pathology.

“Healthcare can learn a lot from other industries that have embraced digitisation,” Drew says. “Our experience with ARKANCE shows that having the right systems and the right training makes the difference between just coping with demand and leading the industry forward.”

For ARKANCE, the partnership demonstrates how its expertise can translate to new frontiers. “In healthcare, the cost of inefficiency is measured not just in dollars, but in lives,” says Leticia Pescador, AEC Technical Consultant. “Digitising workflows in this environment means better accuracy, better accountability, and ultimately, better care.”

As the sector braces for unprecedented growth, SNP’s investment in digital capability positions it as one of Australia’s most advanced and agile private laboratories. By choosing to meet public-sector standards voluntarily, and by embedding innovation into every workflow, the organisation has set a new benchmark for operational excellence.

“In the end, it’s about being ready for what’s next,” Drew says. “Technology won’t replace our people – it empowers them.”

For more information on ARKANCE, visit arkance.world/au-en