Strategic Spend Management in Healthcare Procurement

Touchstone Communities is a network of 27 senior living and rehabilitation centers in Texas. In 2021, they approached Direct Supply® DSSI™ to help transform their inconsistent healthcare procurement processes into strategic spend management solutions. 

Direct Supply® DSSI™ provides technology-driven healthcare procurement solutions to drive operational efficiency and greater financial performance. The program is powered by experts in healthcare procurement spend management and a cutting-edge platform with over 35 years of data. In 2022, Direct Supply DSSI helped healthcare organizations drive significant cost savings – almost $630,000,000!

There are three key elements that make Direct Supply DSSI the industry leading healthcare procurement solution. Read on to learn how Direct Supply DSSI can transform healthcare procurement strategy and procurement spend management.

1. Healthcare Procurement Solutions in a Single Platform

Direct Supply DSSI leverages 35 years of healthcare procurement data that’s housed in one single platform. Prior to partnering with Direct Supply DSSI, Touchstone Communities struggled to manage their procurement across their organization. The purchasing directors had trouble identifying how their locations were spending money. Each facility leveraged different vendors and paid different prices for the same products, and the corporate team had no visibility. 

After partnering with Direct Supply DSSI, the facilities all ordered through the DSSI healthcare procurement platform. This centralized platform gave the corporate team a birds-eye view of their spend. Authorized users could also go in and review purchasing for any of their 27 locations.  

2. Partnership to Drive Outrageous Outcomes & Elevate Healthcare Procurement Strategy

The comprehensive DSSI healthcare procurement solution provides access to almost 500 suppliers, including national names like Medline, Sysco® and Staples®. The constant collaboration between the Direct Supply DSSI and internal procurement teams sets this program apart from other “procurement as a service” solutions.

To begin transforming spend management and healthcare procurement strategy, the Direct Supply DSSI and Touchstone Communities teams identified the best suppliers to utilize based on their supplier contracts, GPO programs and other important factors. This process narrowed down the supplier list to only key suppliers, saving the internal Touchstone Communities team significant time.

The collaboration didn’t stop there! The DSSI and Touchstone Communities teams regularly met to discuss procurement goals, roadblocks and opportunities to drive cost savings. The internal team always had visibility into what was happening and owned the final decision making process. 

3. Cutting-Edge Healthcare Technology Solutions 

The technology leveraged by Direct Supply DSSI drives significant cost savings and time savings for healthcare organizations. The Direct Supply DSSI spend experts utilize proprietary artificial intelligence technology to identify cost savings opportunities. 

This technology known as OGM.ai™ reviews all product data in the DSSI platform every night and compares it to customer order guides. The technology presents recommendations that will drive cost savings, and the DSSI team reviews each recommendation to determine which ones align with the procurement goals of the organization. 

The DSSI team has helped manage the order guides for Touchstone Communities and provide cost savings recommendations. The Direct Supply DSSI solution has saved this this organization over $2.5 million since 2021!

What Can Direct Supply DSSI Healthcare Procurement Solutions Do For You?

Direct Supply DSSI manages multiple categories in the healthcare procurement space, including food, medical supplies, MRO and office supplies. The program supports healthcare providers manage their procurement needs through data, partnership and technology. Healthcare procurement is sometimes considered a cost center. However, with Direct Supply DSSI, procurement becomes a strategic advantage.