NEHTA endorses new eMessaging standard
GS1’s global eMessaging standard GS1 XML has been endorsed by the National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA) as the document format for Australia’s health eProcurement strategy. The standard will be used in conjunction with the National Product Catalogue (NPC) to provide a significant opportunity for the public health sector to make considerable efficiency gains and cost savings, through supply chain processes.
“Thanks to the leadership of organisations such as NEHTA, Australia’s healthcare system is years ahead of other countries in areas such as data synchronisation, with the NPC, and now eMessaging, through the adoption of this new and emerging standard,” said Maria Palazzolo, CEO of GS1 Australia.
“The commitment within this industry to resolve supply chain problems by sitting down with trading partners and competitors alike is to be applauded and held up as an example to other industries yet to harness the true capabilities of global standards to resolve costly supply chain challenges.”
GS1 XML provides a solid foundation for NEHTA’s eProcurement model. It is an electronic data exchange format that provides a standardised and predicable structure for electronic business messages such as Purchase Order, Purchase Order Response, Purchase Order Change, Despatch Advice, and Invoice. With GS1 XML business partners can communicate business data rapidly, efficiently and accurately via the Internet, irrespective of their internal hardware or software types.
“We are building an electronically interconnected health environment based on global standards. This will provide a vital opportunity to make significant efficiency gains and cost savings in the public health sector at a time when there are considerable pressures on limited resources to meet current and future service demands,” said Ken Nobbs, Project Leader – Supply Chain Efficiency, NEHTA.
GS1 XML became a standard in 2006. NEHTA endorsed it as its preferred document format after working closely with GS1 Australia to update the standard, following the guidelines of the Global Standards Management Process (GSMP), so that the Multi-Shipment-Order Change message supported the functionality requirements of AS-5023 (Health supply chain messaging requirements developed by Standards Australia). This functionality is now available to GS1 XML users globally.
"This exercise in meeting the needs of the health industry has demonstrated the effectiveness of the GS1 standards development process and the solid support that GS1 is able to offer industries in this area," said Palazzolo.
GS1 Australia and NEHTA will ensure the health industry is provided with sufficient training and information about GS1 XML and are in the process of planning an education strategy through a series of seminars, presentations and online education services.
Notes to the Editor:
Media contact:
Mary Riekert, GS1 Australia
Email: mary.riekert@gs1au.org
Direct: 03 9550 3409
Relevant NEHTA Technical Publications & Specifications (both published 13/07/2007):
• Business Document Format Choices for Health E-Procurement - A Final Evaluation
• E-Procurement Technical Architecture
GS1 Australia: An independent not-for-profit and the only organisation authorised to allocate and administer GS1 system standards for bar codes, electronic messaging, data synchronisation and EPCglobal standards for radio frequency identification in Australia.
GS1 Australia is part of a worldwide network that supports over a million companies using the GS1 System in areas such as traceability, inventory management, point of sale and collaborative planning.
Everything GS1 Australia does is aimed at helping businesses and industry associations work smarter and more efficiently with the GS1 System – speeding goods to market, forging closer bonds with customers and unlocking the business-building power of accurate information.
For more information go to: www.gs1au.org
For more about GS1 XML go to: www.gs1.org/productssolutions/ecom/xml
For more about NEHTA go to: www.nehta.gov.au
