Online Catalogue Image Update

Following on from our previous update we’re making good progress in updating missing images on our online catalogue. This activity supports the users of the online catalogue in making effective purchasing decisions for the best outcomes for patients.

Since our last update we have made significant progress:

• Nearly 7,000 images, required to support the Digital Commerce programme, have been received and successfully uploaded.
• We now have an image for 76% of product codes that have sales against them in the online catalogue, an increase of 17% since the project began.
• 281 suppliers have provided the requested images, totalling 56,842 since the project began in December.
• A new process has been finalised, which utilises URLs obtained from suppliers.
• Images are now captured on Operational Readiness Plan for contract launches.

Next Steps:

• A dashboard is being built and is now in the testing phase.
• Supplier guidance to be updated.
• Category teams will drive the improvement of images for 2024/25.

Your input plays a crucial role in shaping our priorities, and this project is a key component of our ongoing digital commerce platform enhancement.

See our Useful Links section for further details on our digital commerce programme.

We have reached a significant milestone in updating missing images on our online catalogue. This activity will support the users of the online catalogue to make effective purchasing decisions on which products to use for the best outcomes for patients.

Based on customer feedback we identified priority frameworks and 100,000 critical products, of which 19,415 were used by the pilot trusts of the new digital commerce programme. Despite facing a priority list of nearly 20,000 images to update we have made significant headway with the project.

With an initial task of 19,415 missing images, we have made substantial progress including:

• Over 5,400 images have been received and successfully uploaded.
• We now have an image for 72% of product codes which have sales against them, this is an increase of 13% since the project began.
• 202 suppliers have provided the requested images, totalling 31,061 since the project began in December.
• Collaborative initiatives with key suppliers have paved the way for progress.
• We have explored innovative solutions for obtaining images and implemented a comprehensive action log to address supplier queries or issues promptly.

We want you to know that your feedback is instrumental in guiding our priorities and this initiative is also part of the broader development of our digital commerce platform, see our Useful Links section for more information on our wider digital commerce programme.   

The catalogue now boasts a total of 153,742 images and we remain committed to improving customer experiences. The team are working through the remaining priority list, and we will provide updates on progress.