The Client
OrthoTennessee provides comprehensive orthopedic care with 10 clinical locations throughout eastern TN. For more information, visit orthotn.com.
The Challenge
OrthoTennessee's ordering processes varied widely from one vendor to another, resulting in wasted time, lost productivity, and missed savings opportunities. Justin Creasey, Director of Orthotics and Site Director for the Oak Ridge location, summarizes it this way: "One of our staff members would go into the stockroom with a clipboard and write down what needed to be ordered. Then, that person would have to figure out from where and how to order that item. Depending on the supplier, orders were emailed, placed through online vendor catalogs, called in to salespeople, and/or entered via a supplier's website."
Injectables presented an additional challenge. Without an effective way of tracking lots and expiration dates, OrthoTennessee had seen significant costs due to expired injectables.
The Solution
Using SmartPO, staff members now place orders for all items on one intuitive screen. Even better, they can build orders directly from the stockroom by scanning item bar codes with a variety of mobile devices. SmartPO then handles delivering orders to each supplier in their preferred format—be it EDI, email, or some other electronic document.
Vendor invoices are received electronically through the SmartPO platform and are then routed for approval per OrthoTennessee's preferences. Once approved, SmartPO automatically sends the invoice and pertinent documents to the Accounts Payable system for payment.
When injectables are received, SmartPO requires entry of lot numbers and expiration dates. The system then emails staff and managers as expiration dates approach.
The Implementation
Justin describes the implementation process as surprisingly painless. "Basically, all I had to do was ask each vendor for a purchase history report, which I then forwarded to SmartPO's implementation team. They took it from there to input our inventory, supplier, and contract data into the system." OrthoTennessee also provided the GL code for each inventory item so that it is included on electronic invoices as they are received into the SmartPO system, eliminating the need to code each invoice later.