Article

Simplify and Automate Procurement Processes with Envi®

September 28, 2022
Physicians and nurses gathered in medical storage room

Faced with increased complexity, non-acute healthcare facilities are investing more time than ever managing procurement and inventory processes. Too many workflows are still manual, and these processes will become more inefficient as procurement needs scale up. That’s why facilities need a modern software platform, such as Envi®, that enables automation, provides better visibility and saves valuable time.

As noted in a blog, “Today, forward-thinking health systems are gaining visibility and control over their non-acute facility spend by implementing an inventory management software, like Envi from IOS, in their non-acute facilities.” 

With healthcare organizations purchasing thousands of items each year, manual and outdated processes are simply not scalable. Envi can help. Its users have experienced:

  • 50% decrease in order processing time via automation
  • 5% to 15% savings tied to contract tracking and formulary compliance
  • 20% reduction in on-hand inventory
INTEGRATION ACROSS THE BUSINESS

Envi offers organization-wide benefits, including integrating with existing clinical and financial systems to eliminate manual entry, ensuring data sharing and reducing invoice overpayments. Other benefits include:

  • Enabling simple and convenient ordering
  • Offering inventory control across all locations
  • Providing customizable reporting and analytics
  • Importing invoices directly into the organization’s financial system
  • Scanning and attaching crucial documents to purchase orders (POs) and invoices
  • Connecting electronically with suppliers
  • Centralizing and automating invoice processing

The platform connects with item and supplier master records to simplify POs. This lets facilities manage contracts directly in Envi to ensure compliance, proactively identify money-saving opportunities and increase transparency into purchasing activities. In addition, Envi offers unlimited approval layers for PO authorization and the flexibility to transmit orders to suppliers through electronic data interchange (EDI), email or fax.
 
Facilities can also better manage inventory. To streamline inventory management processes, Envi tracks and supplies the right products to the right locations while keeping accounting accurate and effective.

Plus, the software integrates with accounts payable to eliminate manual data entry. This integration helps guarantee POs, receipts and invoice prices are all accurate. Envi compares invoice information with an existing PO and contract information to ensure facilities always pay the right price. Matched invoices are interfaced to accounting software and pre-populated with general ledger account codes.

BARCODE SCANNING ON THE GO

Using barcode labels and portable scanners offers the fastest and easiest way to track and replenish supplies. In fact, barcoding best practices include using handheld devices. Barcodes allow facilities to quickly scan a product for serial number, expiration date and other information.
 
Digital point-and-shoot scanning requires less time than manual data entry, significantly increasing efficiency. Envi users can leverage a mobile app or a third-party scanner to increase the speed and accuracy of the purchasing and inventory control processes. In addition, a mobile app can utilize a handheld device’s camera for full barcode scanning capabilities.
 
Aside from using the scanner, users also have the option of keying on-hand inventory quantities into Envi. When items reach or dip below predetermined minimum levels of inventory, the products are automatically added to tickets for restocking from central supply locations.

CREATE INTELLIGENT PROCUREMENT PROCESSES

One way to streamline and accelerate procurement is to optimize a platform like Envi, which enables more automation. Evolving processes from manual to digital saves time and delivers other benefits.
 
“By placing all orders electronically, you’ll drive product standardization, optimize local and national contracts and ensure you’re paying the best possible price, and make downstream processes – like back-order management, receiving and accounts payable – far more efficient,” according to an Envi blog.

The platform helps solve one of the biggest challenges facilities are now facing: a labor shortage. To save time, Envi replaces manual tasks with automation. The platform automates myriad procurement processes, including inventory management and purchasing operations, subsequently freeing up employees’ time. This allows them to spend time on other tasks and high-value projects instead of dedicating time to manual processes. 

Facilities with Envi can also schedule any of their reports to automatically run on a daily, weekly or monthly basis for insights into procurement. Likewise, Envi offers a dashboard of preconfigured analytics to inform decision making.
 
The Envi software platform offers benefits for all procurement processes. Optimizing its modules can help facilities modernize procurement through state-of-the-art software that automates workflows and seamlessly integrates with departments.
 
Facilities that want to leverage Envi can talk to their Provista representative to implement the platform in just 90 days. 

“Facilities that want to leverage Envi can implement the platform in just 90 days.”

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