Ingram Micro CoE - IBM watsonx User Group

Background: An US-based Ingram Micro partner has been using IBM Cognos for a long time to provide analytics and insights for the skilled nursing facilities (SNF) industry. SNFs operate under stringent regulations set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS periodically inspects and grades SNFs based on various criteria such as the number of skilled nurses, user capacity, and other key performance indicators. These grades are represented in a star rating system ranging from 1 to 5.

Business Challenge: Each time CMS updates the star ratings, the partner must analyze the data, generate reports, and provide explanations to SNF clients. The key tasks include:

• Presenting SNF performance metrics through tables and visualizations.
• Explaining the reasons for changes in grades.
• Comparing SNFs within a defined radius (e.g., 50 miles) and across the state.
• Advising SNFs on potential improvements to enhance their star ratings.

Prior to adopting watsonx.ai, the partner relied on organizing calls to communicate findings and recommendations, which was a time-consuming and resource-intensive process.

Solution: To streamline this workflow, we have integrated watsonx.ai with IBM Cognos. This integration enables the automatic generation of contextual explanations for SNF data, eliminating the need for extensive manual interpretation and calls. The AI-driven solution enhances the Cognos interface by providing:

• Automated narratives explaining star ratings and performance changes.
• Insights into comparative analytics of SNFs within a specified region.
• Actionable recommendations for improving CMS star ratings.

Benefits:

• Increased Efficiency: Reduced time spent on manual calls and explanations.
• Improved Customer Experience: Clients receive immediate, detailed insights directly within the Cognos interface.
• Scalability: The partner can now support more SNFs without additional resources.
• Data-Driven Decision-Making: SNFs receive clearer guidance on how to improve their ratings based on structured AI-generated insights.

By leveraging watsonx.ai, the partner has transformed its service delivery, making analytics more accessible, timely, and impactful for SNFs.