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Advanced Urology Case Study

by | Jan 25, 2021 | Case Studies

This rapidly growing organization consolidated regional urology clinics and surgery centers to form the 3rd largest urology group in the U.S. Advanced Urology Institute uses Envi to ensure buyers requisition products based on an approved formulary. Envi bridges gaps among disparate systems to automate 3-way price matching, maintain updated contract pricing, and provide both system- and enterprise-wide reporting to increase visibility.

AUI focuses on patient-centered care and services. With AUI’s internal measures, proven treatment guidelines, involvement in research studies, and passion for continuous learning, patients can be confident the AUI treatment team is providing the best treatment options.

THE AUI STORY

Bridging System Gaps 

Sonya DeMarco, Director of Supply Chain Management, is responsible for cost control, inventory control and contracting at this rapidly growing organization. Five years ago, Sonya and the supply chain team faced an urgent need to bridge gaps across widely disparate systems and processes; they selected Envi to manage their supply chain needs, with specific goals that included:

• Fully automated 3-way match
• Multi location capabilities
• Scalability to address growing needs, with support to enable expansion
• Reporting tools to create visibility at both facility and enterprise level

As multiple locations came together to form AUI, it became clear that capabilities varied from location to location, especially with regard to 3-way price matching. “Some systems could do two parts of the 3-way match but none could exchange data with our AP system, so we were matching manually,” said DeMarco. “We knew that wouldn’t be sustainable, and with growth, we had to have 3-way match without manual intervention.”

Envi Supports Enterprise Growth 

Selecting Envi was an easy decision for DeMarco, who knew Envi could meet the needs of their growth-focused healthcare organization. Today DeMarco and team use Envi to manage supplies in over 40 locations at six facilities within the clinic group and four surgery centers (and two surgery centers, with two more surgery centers scheduled to go live). DeMarco manages contracting for the entire organization, ensuring that contracts deliver the most favorable pricing and terms, while accommodating the addition of new products as they’re selected by physicians.

Using Envi, DeMarco manages contracts at the organization level, while users in the clinics and surgery centers do their own requisitioning, directly from a customized user template developed by IOS, based on feedback from AUI. Users work from a “favorites” list of the on-contract items they purchase most often.

Envi Best Practices Drive Results 

All ordering is handled at corporate level. “When we became AUI, purchasing was the first thing we centralized,” said DeMarco. “We stopped significant expense bleeding and today, can immediately identify any instances where we’re overcharged, charged for extraneous fees like expedited shipping or other add-on charges. We’ve eliminated 100% of these charges and in the first year, saved nearly $100,000.”

Envi enables an automated 3-way price match throughout the organization. “While we ship supplies directly to facilities, the corporate team ‘oversees’ the receiving process to make sure we have all parts of the 3-way match enabled. If that doesn’t happen, invoices can’t get paid and that’s unacceptable. We want to ensure good partnerships with our vendors.”

“Envi helps especially where GPOs are concerned. Every account number, every ship-to location is linked to a GPO contract. Every time a contract period rolls, there’s a chance of human error. It only takes one click to leave off an account number. Envi catches these errors immediately and as soon as we see the discrepancy, we can go right to our vendor partner to make sure the contract is correct and contract price is paid. Without Envi, we wouldn’t spot mistakes so easily or quickly. This allows me to always manage my locations and enterprise business.”

“I wouldn’t want to do my job without Envi – their team is truly part of my business,” concluded DeMarco. “They help solve problems and when I need an enhancement to the system, I pass it to the Envi team through my exceptional account manager. We’ve been able to suggest new features that have become part of Envi. Our physicians are commitment to delivering the care that’s right for our patients, and with Envi, we maintain our patient focus and deliver the cost-effective care they need.”

Best Practice Highlights

• Control purchasing with approved formulary
• Consolidate products used at all facilities
• Implement enterprise-wide contract and price management
• Advance automated 3-way price matching
• Leverage Envi reporting for enterprise and facility level management

Using Envi across the multiple facilities which are now part of AUI has bridged disparate systems and processes, enabling corporate oversight of purchasing, standardizing products, reducing costs and building visibility throughout the organization.