The U.S. supply chain has advanced in other industries (retail, grocery, general merchandise),
but the healthcare industry as a whole is just now learning the benefits of electronic commerce,
vendor-managed inventory (consignment), evaluated receipts settlement, and just-in-time
replenishment. Some suggest the primary reason we struggle in healthcare is due to the lack of a
solid, underlying infrastructure, one that facilitates the integration of the supply chain with clinical
systems through interfaces and data standards. For one Integrated Delivery Network (IDN), Mayo
Clinic, integration is beginning to show the promised benefits and allowing the industry to finally
see the big picture – the role data standards play in improving supply chain performance.