Industry Tools
INDUSTRY TOOLS 
With the wide-spread availability of reliable electronic technologies, paper-based invoice processes have become costly, inefficient, and avoidable practices for healthcare trading partners with excess costs including the manual labor to create, send, and process paper invoices, plus the resource consumption of paper in the process. While many healthcare supply chain trading partners have implemented some electronic invoicing programs, the industry’s overall effort has often stalled after implementation of the efficient electronic invoicing method with a few major trading partners. The purpose of the 810 Transaction Tools is to provide trading partners with both a method to estimate the potential impact of increasing their utilization of the 810 electronic invoice transaction set, and adoption roadmaps to support implementation. These tools are designed to assist both healthcare providers and suppliers in collaboratively analyzing and implementing this efficient, modern method for invoice processing, thus reducing operational costs and improving the overall supply chain.
Contract synchronization between trading partners remains an elusive goal of healthcare supply chain professionals. Our industry continues in its quest to have the information systems of all trading partners – manufacturers, distributors, and providers – load and keep synchronized the same the same data at the same time.
This SMI industry briefing explores current data synchronization processes, seeking to identify inefficiencies and solutions that all parties can enact and implement while awaiting the industry-wide adoption of data standards.
- Contract Template Form (Excel format)
- The Challenges of Achieving Contract Data Synchronization (Word format)
Healthcare supply chain professionals traditionally have not considered themselves as part of the revenue side of the organization, more easily associating instead with the cost side of the ledger. However, emerging efforts are showing that supply chain can positively impact an organization’s revenue. This presentation file serves as a valuable tool to help providers identify the “links” that product acquisition processes and overall supply chain management has with revenue. Using this presentation, today’s healthcare supply chain professionals can identify gaps in their own practices and better understand where and how they can optimize revenue, enhancing supply chain’s overall value to their organization.
- Link Between Supply Chain and Revenue PowerPoint Presentation
- Link Between Supply Chain and Revenue Video - to download the video click here Link Between Supply Chain and Revenue (to view this version you must first save, then open)
The Measuring Effective Relationships V3.0 tool is an updated version of the original SMI MER software program. Developed by SMI members to support collaborative relationship management and improvements between healthcare trading partners, MER is designed to help a trading relationship focus on performance rather than the traditional “pricing only” viewpoint. Version 3.0 has enhanced features that allow tool users to involve many stakeholders in developing average statistical weights and rates on over 50 relationship elements. The SMI MER Tool is designed to be used collaboratively by both trading partners to help take their relationship to new levels by:
- MER Case Study (Word format)
- SMI Measuring Effective Relationships V3.0 (Microsoft Access format)
Microsoft Access is required to use this database. These files are in zip format to minimize download times. Winzip or other compression software is required to 'unzip' the database files. Click here to download free Winzip software. New to zip files? Here is a good tutorial on using Winzip.
The New Product Introduction Management Tool (NPIM) is a product request pipeline management software tool designed to serve the unique needs of healthcare product introduction management professionals managing the variety of organizational processes associated with the request, review, analysis, and decision making surrounding new products and devices. This software has been designed to support supply chain professionals at integrated delivery systems and/or individual hospitals in managing their product decision making processes. When installed properly, the New Product Introduction Management Tool helps staff manage the pipeline of product requests under review, records the history of the decision process for auditing purposes, and integrates with an organization’s email system, automatically sending email notifications to user-selected stakeholders to foster communication and awareness about the product review process and where the request is in the process.
The tool itself is too large to download. To receive the software tool free of charge contact Dennis Orthman at 617-327-1067 or dorthman@smisupplychain.com.
For technical support and questions about this NPIM Tool, please email npimsupport@smisupplychain.com.
A Perfect Order is defined by SMI as a purchase order processed electronically (from order to payment) without human intervention, which is delivered to the correct location, on time, undamaged, at the correct price – i.e., the provider’s purchase order price matches the supplier invoice price - with the desired quantity, on the first attempt. When a trading relationship is able to consistently achieve Perfect Orders, all partners will be efficiently utilizing their available resources through elimination of errors and maximization of available technology.
SMI has been pioneering the development of Perfect Order methodologies in the healthcare supply chain marketplace. Through the lessons learned in the implementation of three separate pilot programs, the concept of Perfect Order has moved toward becoming an everyday reality. This roadmap document has been developed as a tool to assist healthcare supply chain professionals in applying the concept of Perfect Order in their organizations.
SMI’s Deeper Dive Briefings, available for immediate downloading in pdf format, are written by SMI member workgroups as an aide to today’s busy supply chain professionals, aimed at helping them quickly gain insight and knowledge on leading edge industry topics. SMI’s Deeper Dive Briefings provide current information on the changes, trends, practices, and traditions of life in the healthcare supply chain industry. With today’s industry environment experiencing accelerated and constant change, SMI members realize the importance for industry professionals to have access to resources where they can quickly learn and understand new and emerging concepts and practices.
- Emerging Aggregated Contracting - an SMI Deeper Dive Briefing Over the last few years, the healthcare supply chain industry has experienced a continued movement toward the formation of provider “networks” that aggregate purchase volumes to leverage the marketplace for the benefit of the network’s members. This emerging aggregation approach is contributing to the development of new supply chain business models. This four-page document covers what is aggregation, why is it happening, and what are the potential benefits of aggregation.
- Supply Chain Integration and Collaboration with Clinicians - an SMI Deeper Dive Briefing Industry reform has expanded supply chain cost control pressures to clinicians, administrators, insurers, and suppliers, requiring new approaches and collaborative efforts. This environment is an excellent opportunity for the supply chain profession to act as a catalyst for change by proactively partnering with physicians and clinicians on new approaches. This document provides useful information on creating a foundation for change, with practical tips to promote greater collaboration with clinicians.
The Supply and Labor Cost Calculator tool is a Microsoft Excel® program developed collaboratively by Resource Optimization and Innovation (ROi) and SMI to support supply chain professionals in developing forecasts of future labor and supply costs. The Calculator allows a comparison of a user’s forecasted labor and supply costs. During the field testing of this Calculator, SMI’s professional supply chain members discovered enhanced value when their provider-based colleagues were actively engaged in the forecasting process. We encourage you to read and understand the Supply and Labor Cost Calculator case study to explore the many ways this tool can support and promote supply chain management.
- Calculator Case Study
- Supply and Labor Cost Calculator (this is a very large file, it will download much more quickly if select save rather than open when you download it)
SMI’s Value Alignment Initiative Team identified the need to improve strategic dialog between trading partners so that partners can collaborate as much in healthcare as they do in other industries. The SMI Team worked to create a "front end" to the SMI Tool - Measuring Effective Relationships, recognizing that aligning of value among trading partners and the creation of strategic partnerships can help to facilitate improved outcomes at lower cost. The Team has created three tools to assist the industry:
- Creating Strategic Partnerships - an SMI educational and awareness-building presentation; covering the need for alliances and partnerships, how to create an alliance, and how to measure an alliance.
- Business Review Guidelines - a compilation of recommendations on how to effectively conduct routine business reviews, with sample agendas, timetables, and other important information for trading partners.
- Trading Partner Value Profiles – a standardized two-page summary of information that allows providers and suppliers to communicate the important, yet basic, information about their organization. Industry professionals can download the appropriate Value Profile Template below and create their own Value Profile to use with their trading partners. To see the Value Profiles of SMI members, click on the name of the organization on the SMI Membership page.
This management guideline document is a collaboratively developed document, written in general language, to assist healthcare supply chain leaders and managers with optional management programs and actions for addressing vendor access issues in healthcare organizations. This guideline is designed to support, not replace, written policies as the ultimate judgment regarding an organization’s policy and procedure must be made by that organization’s management based upon the particular interests, needs, desires, and history of the organization.
- Management Guidelines for Vendor Access (Word format)
- The Need for Management Guidelines for Vendor Access (Word format)
The Vendor Managed Inventory Toolkit – a Microsoft Access based tool - is designed to be used by both trading partners to explore the possibilities that a vendor managed inventory program offers. A proven practice in other industries, VMI could possibly be adopted in healthcare to help create the next cost reduction success story. The VMI Toolkit is a decision and adoption support tool that takes trading partners through multiple thought-provoking steps when they are considering a VMI program. This VMI Toolkit is not intended nor should be considered a definitive analytic model, but rather it is intended to be a useful adjunct when two healthcare trading partners are exploring the application of VMI as part of their supply chain program.
