Geac SmartStream demonstrates commitment to healthcare industry for its client/server application suite; enhanced functionality, strategic alliances incite leading healthcare organizations to select SmartStream for its vertical focus and best-of-breed positioning

Business Wire, June 27, 1997

ORLANDO, Fla.--(BW HealthWire)--June 27, 1997--Following the company's new concentration on key vertical markets, Geac SmartStream announced plans to bolster its healthcare enterprise solution through product enhancements and select partnerships.

SmartStream is already being deployed at some of the most progressive healthcare companies in the world. SmartStream has proven that it is not "just software" but rather a strategic component of healthcare business competitiveness. In fact, surveys taken at Geac SmartStream's Alliance User Conference in April indicate that the majority of SmartStream healthcare customers said a high return on investment and the ability to improve their business processes were unique advantages of the SmartStream solution.

Maria E. De la Torre, assistant vice president -- finance division, Triple-S, Inc., indicated that Triple-S is in the process of transforming a large, bureaucratic procurement process into an efficient paperless operation with their SmartStream implementation. San Juan based Triple-S is the largest health insurer in Puerto Rico.

"SmartStream's workflow has been the best advantage of all, it's outstanding," said De la Torre. "Our costs were too high before. We are eliminating all of the paper in the process--requisitions and back-up documents are all electronic. The cost savings are adding up."

Healthcare heads the list of key vertical industries Geac SmartStream announced under its Vision 360(TM) model earlier this year. Vision 360 is a comprehensive strategy and set of technology tools designed to supply CFOs with a complete view of managing their businesses. It helps a company understand the relationships it has with its customers, business partners, competitors, markets, suppliers and employees.

"With competition as fierce as it is, healthcare organizations need to stay one step ahead of the marketplace," said Mary Hickey, director of healthcare industry marketing for Geac SmartStream. "SmartStream, including our CyberStream Intranet applets, provides a solution to dramatically improve their business processes and enterprise information access."

Project HOPE recently selected SmartStream because they needed to be able to manage their operations with a limited staff. "We'll get much more value for our dollar with this modern technology," said Mark Fuller, chief information officer.

"It has the flexibility we need to manage through any changes we have to make. We can accomplish the mission of Project HOPE using as few resources as possible for efficiencies within our enterprise."

Project HOPE is a non-profit organization which delivers health education in developing countries, publishes the Health Affairs journal, and operates a domestic health policy research center called The Center for Health Affairs.

Human Resources, Supplies Management, Major Partnership Distinguish SmartStream

Geac continues to fortify its strong commitment to healthcare both from within and without, recently forging a Global Alliance Partnership with HALIS, Inc., and the HALIS Healthcare Enterprise System. In addition to integrated delivery systems, HALIS develops systems for hospitals, physician group practices, clinics, payers, labs, pharmacies, home health care and long term care. The technology uses a highly advanced multi-media object and relational database design, significantly reducing the traditional programming other systems require.

The combined technologies of Geac and HALIS allow Geac to present a total solution to hundreds of healthcare customers. "Healthcare is one of the primary industries in which we have established a significant customer base," said Doug Percy, Geac SmartStream senior vice president and general manager. "We believe the industry is ready to embrace a single system for healthcare and we look forward to our Global Alliance Partnership with HALIS."

SmartStream 5.0, available fourth quarter 1997, has new functionality to specifically address healthcare requirements. For example, with SmartStream Payroll the news is multiple EIN processing. SmartStream now has the only payroll functions that can simultaneously pay employees in multiple tax entities on the same check.

EIN processing was driven by the requirements of large healthcare enterprises such as General Health System, with 400 acute care beds, 800 nursing home beds and 90,000 people in managed care plans. "General Health System is a labor intensive organization," according to Cheryl Matusicky, vice president of financial services. "We need the information to allow us to manage our labor force at a level of detail that has not been demanded in the past. We have found that SmartStream will provide us with the tools to effectively manage our diverse pool of employees and be able to establish our first comprehensive labor resource management system.

"Managers in our organization will be able to more effectively match staffing levels planned in our flexible budgeting process with real-time access to the labor pool," continued Matusicky. "This is a fundamental need for General Health System to be the best in the delivery of quality care at the lowest cost."