PEPPOL – NHS eprocurement strategy

The NHS eProcurement strategy requires Trusts to be able to use standardised data and to trade fully electronically.

The use of GS1 standards will enable this.

The Government recommended standard for electronic data interchange is PEPPOL (Pan European Public Procurement On Line) messaging standard that enables key procurement transactional documentation to be exchanged electronically between buyers and suppliers (without manual intervention) through PEPPOL Access Points (AP’s).

Ingenica is not currently a PEPPOL AP, however this may change in the future. Ingenica 360 healthcare solution is however PEPPOL ‘ready’ and able to transmit data (as requisition or Purchase Order) in the PEPPOL standard message format either directly or through the P2P system to exchange with the Supplier PEPPOL AP where it is translated into a sales order in their Sales order system. The reverse methodology works for transmitting Advanced Shipping Notes (ASN’s) and for the electronic exchange of invoices.

Trusts can select a PEPPOL AP from established National Framework Agreements. Ingenica have held discussions with some of these suppliers already to confirm compatibility.

Benefits that can be expected from the use of PEPPOL are:

• Fewer order and invoice discrepancies
• Reduced purchase order costs
• Improved standardised data (and thus spend analytics capability)
• Improved supplier relationships
• Increased benchmarking opportunities
• Increased opportunities for collaborative working