The arrival of multiple COVID-19 vaccines has created hope that the end of this pandemic may be in sight. But producing a vaccine is the first step in an immensely complex process that we must get right.

Last fall, the U.S. government set a goal of inoculating 20 million Americans by the end of 2020. As of January 24, 2021, 18.5 million people had been vaccinated.

In conversations with governments, providers, and analysts in recent weeks, we focused on the issues that have slowed down vaccine distribution and administration. One of the biggest challenges is an over-reliance on slow, manual, error-prone processes that can overwhelm medical workers and systems.

We’ve seen multiple examples of medical facilities using email as a primary method to schedule vaccination appointments. Often, the emails go unread by busy clinicians who are the first priority group. As a result, the scheduled appointments are missed, leading other employees to perceive that appointments are available when they are not.

Hospitals are under siege from the pandemic, and mistakes are bound to happen. But there’s a better way to manage one of the most consequential vaccination efforts in human history.

We have a powerful, novel weapon in the fight against COVID-19: digital workflows that automate critical processes, increase accountability, and dramatically improve efficiency.