DAYTON, Ohio and WESTMINSTER, Colo., Feb. 24 -- Standard Register and Global Healthcare Exchange, LLC announced they are integrating their respective e-procurement services for the healthcare industry. The connectivity will enable healthcare purchasers using GHX's Catalyst order-management system to launch Standard Register's SMARTworks electronic procurement and print-management system to not only purchase printed materials, but also coordinate and track their design, printing and distribution. "Both Standard Register and GHX have independently created innovative e-business solutions that help customers increase efficiency and reduce costs," said Joe Morgan, Standard Register chief technology officer. "By integrating our solutions through a single Internet connection at customers' desktops, we're delivering even greater value to the marketplace." HCA hospitals will be the first to take advantage of the connectivity between the SMARTworks and Catalyst systems. Hospital personnel at more than 200 HCA hospitals are already using Catalyst to prepare requisitions, which are then routed to HCA's centralized enterprise resource planning (ERP) system where they are converted into purchase orders and sent to the corresponding supplier through GHX's electronic trading exchange. Now those hospitals will be able to use Catalyst to access SMARTworks' customized Web interface that enables users to select, customize, order and track printed materials via preferred printers and suppliers. The systems work hand-in-hand to streamline the purchasing process, help eliminate purchase order errors and help reduce overall costs. Ranked number 43 in Information Week's 2003 list of the 500 most innovative business users of information technology, Standard Register already conducts business electronically with many of its customers in healthcare and other industries. With the relationship with GHX, Standard Register expects to accelerate its e-business efforts in healthcare, increasing the penetration of SMARTworks in participating GHX hospitals. "With more than 1700 hospitals in the United States transacting business through GHX, we look forward to helping Standard Register further expand its already significant e-commerce business," said GHX Chief Executive Officer Mike Mahoney. "GHX, meanwhile, is proud to have a company of the stature of Standard Register among our more than 145 connected suppliers. By working together, we can make further progress toward our common goal of making healthcare more efficient."