Organisation background

This healthcare group comprises in excess of 70 acute care private hospitals across the UK, treating over 250,000 inpatients each year and 750,000 outpatients. Nearly half of the procedures undertaken for patients are of a major or complex nature. 

Summary of our services

Print Management, Storage, Fulfilment and Distribution, Direct Mail (in conjunction with Design Agency), edit2print and Online Ordering.

The brief

At the outset of the partnership each of the hospitals was procuring their own print, using upwards of 219 printers. Due to the individual purchasing of print, quantifying spend on a group level was difficult. Our brief was to audit all of the sites, quantify what they were spending on print, consolidate the print and control the brand identity, which in turn would streamline their processes.

The solution

Operating as a single point of contact for all hospitals, we were able to source print for the group centrally. By putting in place strict service level agreements and procedures, we were able to work closely with our client to streamline processes and manage their print effectively. After completing the audits we found one of the main factors that we needed to achieve was to standardise and control the brand identity - this was addressed immediately with great impact!

Using our on-line systems to procure the best price from our approved roster of suppliers, we were able to show significant cost savings through more efficient purchasing. Regular purchases include business forms, corporate stationery, NCR sets, promotional items, badges, marketing collateral, brochures, direct mailers, flyers, folders, desk calendars and signage.

Implementing a stock management and predictive stock control system for all national product lines and some hospital specific items has established a proactive approach to the replenishment and ordering of stock and streamlined the order process. Key personnel at each site are able to place orders for stock items via the online stock control and ordering system. By introducing version control, compliance procedures and managing the whole process from initiation to completion in a more consistent way further cost savings for the group have been achieved. 

Through the deployment of our technology solutions, full management information on activity across the healthcare group is now available. Cost savings for each hospital are tracked against actual previous buy prices to establish a year to date saving and predicted group saving. In the initial year of the contract we showed a cost saving in excess of 20% group wide.