Some Examples

According to InternetWeek (www.internetweek.com), PCS Health Systems, a prescription management company, issues plastic information cards to health-plan members. When a patient fills a prescription, the pharmacist inputs patient information from the card, and PCS provides information such as eligibility, drug interactions and whether other drugs are preferred. Then the prescription can be dispensed, and PCS records the transaction and bills the health plan. PCS provides analytics to its clients, the health plan managers, to help them understand how well their plan is performing. Clients use Web browsers to connect to the PCS network. Ron Merlino, senior VP of technology infrastructure at PCS, said in Fall 2000 that PCS is giving more managers in client organizations access to data mining and analytical tools.

Retailer Dayton Hudson has spent several years working to move its suppliers to EDI-based supply chains. It has standardized transactions on the delivery of Advanced Ship/Manifest (ANS) documents based on Universal Product Codes (UPCs) to enable the retailer to keep track of its shipments and inventory. The retailer's EDI purchase order rollout began in January 1998, and the system currently supports 3,800 vendors with over one million UPCs cross-referenced. (Check http://www.internetwk.com/news0299/news022399-5.htm) This large database provides extensive DSS possibilities similar to those in place at Wal-Mart and other retailers.