To download these tools, simply click on the links below and select "Save To Disk" or right-click and select "Save Link As".

Vendor Access Guidelines

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)
• Position Paper: The Need for Management Guidelines for Vendor Access (Word format)

Measuring Effective Relationships

The Measuring Effective Relationships tool is a software program developed by SMI members to support relationship management between healthcare marketplace trading partners. It has been designed to promote a forum for both providers and suppliers to measure the effectiveness of a business relationship as well as provide a platform for ongoing improvement. We encourage you to explore the many ways this tool can improve your business relationships.

• SMI Measuring Effective Relationships V2.0 (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.
• MER Case Study (Word format)

Perfect Order

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.

• Implementation Process & Automation Roadmap (Word format)

Contract Synchronization

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. 

• The Challenges of Achieving Contract Data Synchronization (Word format)
• Contract Template Form (Excel format)

New Product Introduction Management

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. 

• Case Study for New Product Introduction Management

To receive the software tool free of charge contact Dennis Orthman at 617-327-1067 or dorthman@smisupplychain.com.

Link Between Supply Chain and Revenue

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. 

©2008 Strategic Marketplace Initiative. All rights reserved. This publication is available at no charge. Contents of this publication may be reused or reproduced, in part or in whole, only with the specific written acknowledgement of the Strategic Marketplace Initiative as the original author, referencing the web site www.smisupplychain.com.