Key to re-engineering the purchasing process is the formation of a:

University of Iowa/UI Hospitals and Clinics Strategic Procurement Partnership

Nine Guiding Principles will form the basis of this partnership:

1. The University of Iowa Purchasing Department and UI Hospitals and Clinics Purchasing Services Department have collaborated to form a Strategic Procurement Partnership, which is fostered through the use of shared resources, shared contracts and group purchasing efforts to achieve synergy in the procurement process.
2. The procurement and supply chain management functions for UI Hospitals and Clinics are centralized in a single hospital department focused on enhancing patient care and optimizing the use of institutional resources.
3. All products and services are obtained through Novation, UHC, or hospital/university contracts when possible and in our best interest.
4. The procurement and distribution processes ensure the required items are available at the point-of-care when they are needed.
5. The purchasing function is supported by a state-of-the-art purchasing and inventory control information system, which provides immediate access to data related to utilization and pricing to support high quality clinical and business decisions.
6. Automation of the procurement cycle from order to payment is maximized through the use of electronic interfaces such as Marketplace@Novation.
7. The use of electronic technologies (Omnicell, barcoding, etc.) for the acquisition of commodity items is maximized so that the need for human intervention is minimized.
8. Interactions between hospital staff and vendors are appropriate and support the mission of the organization.
9. Understand "total cost" as a balance of: activity, product price, and space, striving to have the right item available at the right time, for the right price.