Monday 8th February, 2016

Data Interchange plc, a leading provider of B2B integration solutions, has signed a contract with an NHS Trust to roll out PEPPOL (Pan-European Public Procurement Online) to 100 suppliers in the Trust’s supply chain as a pilot programme. Once linked to the PEPPOL network, buyers and their suppliers can communicate electronically.

In the UK, the eProcurement Strategy published by the Department of Health in May 2014, requires the use of PEPPOL across the NHS for all e-procurement with its suppliers.

Ewan Friend, managing director of Data Interchange said: "Through this pilot we will create the data we need to build a business case to demonstrate clearly that our implementation process works. We will use the data to identify the significant benefits of PEPPOL to the Trust and also to create a white paper on the advantages that PEPPOL brings to the supply chain."

"PEPPOL is a key enabler to unlocking the cost savings that exist in public procurement. As the first solution provider to offer a PEPPOL Access Point in the UK, this underlines our commitment to the PEPPOL initiative and the importance we play in e-procurement”, commented Friend. “PEPPOL certification enables our customers to engage with a wider range of buyers, in particular governmental and public organisations."

PEPPOL, provides trading partners with structured, standardised electronic documents and a global document exchange network of PEPPOL Access Points. Focusing on the most complex elements of e-procurement, such as the provision of e-catalogues, e-orderings and e-invoicing, these business documents can be validated and processed, using solutions implementing the mandatory PEPPOL Business Interoperability Specifications (BIS).