Keith Lilley, Head of Supplies at the Trust says of his choice of the eProcurement solution for Leeds: ‘Our major concern when implementing electronic procurement in Leeds was to improve efficiencies across all departments and platforms. GHX has a solution which is streamlined to our business processes and enhances the value of our supply chain management. The Oracle system now accepts GHX transactions and displays them on our Oracle user interface – eliminating double-keying, secondary systems or browser-based solutions common among other eCommerce providers. The accuracy of transactions has been improved and to date GHX-enabled procurements have been 100% error free. I am sure that this will in the long run be the biggest factor for cost reduction in our Trust.'

Integration into Established Systems
For both Trusts and suppliers, transactions via Global Healthcare Exchange result in catalogue accuracy, real time information on requisitions and ordering, reduced stock levels and a reduction in non-value added administrative activities such as invoice reconciliation. The deep level of integration achieved by GHX means that the supplies department at Leeds is able to use its existing business processes and systems, whilst at the same time benefiting from GHX's features.

Ordering processes with GHX are automated to the maximum extent possible. Supplies staff place orders using their existing Oracle purchasing system. GHX technology converts the data into its own standard GHXml™ and then directs this order automatically into the supplier's ERP system, thus eliminating manual order processes and freeing up time for more value-added customer service. Next, an electronic purchase order acknowledgement is sent to the Trust via GHX, received by the Trust’s purchasing system and displayed on the updated Oracle system. GHX also provides hospitals with automated shipping notifications which keeps them informed on the progress of their orders with the supplier.

Single Clean Catalogue
As the basis for all transactions GHX has created AllSource™, a unified and standardised catalogue. GHX’s supplier members are responsible for maintaining accurate product descriptions, pack sizes and codes within the AllSource™ catalogue. This information is regularly updated in the Trust's master files, ensuring that the most accurate data are available for product searches and ordering. Historically, hospitals have had considerable difficulty in maintaining the content of their catalogue. GHX AllSource™ catalogue and update processes solve this problem and as such are unique within healthcare eCommerce.

Focusing on Benefits
'Enabling Leeds Teaching Hospitals to do live electronic procurement has been a great achievement for GHX,' says Gene Dorff, General Manager of GHX Europe. 'Our goal is to increase the efficiencies of the healthcare supply chain by providing accurate data which enable internal process efficiency for both parties. This month we have not only deeply integrated into the Leeds Trust's Oracle system, we have also integrated into the SAP-based procurement system of St. Johannes Hospital Group in Dortmund, Germany. These solutions are scaleable to other hospitals’ systems. Connectivity solutions for other types of hospital procurement systems are in their final development stages, opening the benefits of fully integrated purchasing to hundreds of European hospitals.' Peter Elwin, UK Country Manager for GHX adds: ‘We are delighted to have gone live at Leeds and are now working with the NHS on the rollout of our technology across a wide range of Trusts’.

About Global Healthcare Exchange (GHX)
Global Healthcare Exchange BVBA (www.ghx.com) is a neutral trading exchange through which hospitals can purchase both medical and non-medical products more easily, quickly and accurately than ever before. GHX is open to all members of the supply chain, with connectivity solutions specifically adapted to the needs of large, mid-sized and small suppliers and hospitals to improve efficiencies and add value throughout the healthcare supply chain. It is a privately held company that was founded in March 2000 and its global membership now includes more than 100 supplier members and nearly 600 hospital members. Equity owners of GHX include Johnson & Johnson; GE Medical Systems; Baxter International, Inc.; Abbott Laboratories; Medtronic, Inc.; Amerisource Bergen Corporation; Becton, Dickinson and Company; Boston Scientific Corporation; Cardinal Health Inc.; C.R. Bard, Inc.; Fisher Scientific International Inc.; Guidant Corporation; McKesson Corporation; Siemens Medical Solutions; and Tyco International, Ltd.

For more information, please contact

GHX
Anja Jessen
Marketing Communications Manager, GHX Europe
Tel. +32 (0)2 - 761 48 22
Mobile +32 (0)479 - 99 81 43
ajessen@ghxeurope.com

Leeds Teaching Hospitals
Keith Lilley
Head of Supplies, The Leeds Teaching Hospitals
Tel. +44 (0)113 - 392 61 82
Mobile +44 (0)7786 – 91 56 68
Keith.Lilley@leedsth.nhs.uk