Lawson Software says that customers like Boston Medical Center, Jewish Hospital & St. Mary's HealthCare, MediCorp Health System and Providence Health and Services represent a growing number of healthcare providers that have selected Lawson's advanced, mobile supply chain offerings - Par and Cycle Counting, Receiving and Delivery, and Surgical Instrument Management - to control their supply costs by managing and tracking supplies, packages and surgical instruments more effectively.

Using bar coding, wireless and Internet technologies, the applications enable employees to increase their productivity via more efficient and more accurate business processes. The goal is faster supply replenishment cycles, ensuring the right supplies are available when and where they are needed.

According to Business Wire, Providence Health and Services, an existing Lawson Enterprise Financial Management, Human Capital Management and Supply Chain Management customer, has licensed both Par and Cycle Counting and Receiving and Delivery. The multi-state healthcare network will use the mobile applications to increase supply chain efficiencies and reduce costs by improving the accuracy and speed with which it processes packages and moves supplies within its facilities. Specifically, the health system wants to increase staff productivity so employees have more time to analyze the data they collect. This analysis will help technicians identify supply usage trends and opportunities for improving inventory turnover.

"Mobile applications were the logical next step as we sought new ways to drive even greater benefits from our ERP system," said Kurt Reasoner, director, ProvConnect, Providence Health and Services. "By adding bar code scanning and wireless technologies to our supply chain execution, we expect to reduce both supply and staff costs. For example, the productivity gains driven by these applications will enable us to manage supplies at growing facilities without hiring new staff."

Providence Health and Services is a not-for-profit organization of hospitals, clinics, physicians, long-term care and assisted living facilities, and other services and programs across five states. It has 46,000 employees located in Alaska, Montana, Oregon, Southern California and Washington.

"These leading healthcare providers join a growing group of customers that have chosen our mobile solutions to improve staff performance and control costs. Combined, we already have more than 100 licenses for our advanced, wireless products," said Steffan Haithcox, healthcare strategy director, Lawson Software. "We're committed to expanding our offerings to help healthcare organizations improve margins and enhance service in supply chain management and throughout their operations."

Lawson serves more than 500 healthcare industry clients representing more than 4,500 facilities, including eight of the top 10 integrated delivery networks. The company also serves managed care systems, academic medical centers, hospitals, clinics, physician group practices, home healthcare, long-term care and other health services enterprises. Lawson solutions help healthcare organizations manage their business so they can focus on their patients, automate and streamline materials management for a better bottom line, and overcome the challenges of the labor shortage.