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Digital Commerce Platform Support Page

Catalogue Quick Start Guide

Our new catalogue will be delivered in phases, adding new functionality over time

Release two: Compare, copy link and other features

  1. Voting buttons to tell us how useful images are, which will provide us with insight to improve these.

  2. Related product data sheets will be provided where available.

  3. Easily copy and paste the product URL to share with others.
Screenshot of a product page of the new online catalogue with relevant areas highlighted by numbered circles

You can compare up to four products side by side on the desktop version of the catalogue, and two on the mobile site.

  1. Tick the ‘Add to compare’ button under your preferred products.

  2. Your selected products for comparison will show in a banner at the bottom of the screen.

  3. Click the green ‘Go to Compare‘ button..
Screenshot of a product listing page of the new online catalogue with relevant areas highlighted by numbered circles
  1. On the product comparison page scroll down on your browser to compare product attributes and other information side by side.

  2. Click the blue cross on a product image to remove a product from the screen or ‘clear all‘ to return to the product listing page.
Screenshot of a product comparison page of the new online catalogue with relevant areas highlighted by numbered circles

Release one: Logged out search and browse

  1. No user ID or password is needed. Use the URL provided in your countdown communications to access the home screen.

  2. Use the navigation bar to navigate to the Supply Chain Home or other areas of the website.

  3. Click into the Search Bar and use free text, MPCs or other search terms to search the catalogue (not the main NHS Supply Chain).
Screenshot of the home page of the new online catalogue with relevant areas highlighted by numbered circles
  1. Alternatively click on Products in the navigation bar and choose your preferred eclass category to bring up related sub categories.

  2. Use the chevrons on the category navigation bar to scroll for more categories.
Screenshot of the products area of the new online catalogue showing eclass categories and sub categories.

Scroll down the Product Listing page to see more.

  1. For products which have multiple images, click the chevrons to see an image carousel.

  2. You can also navigate the category hierarchy using the breadcrumb trail from the product pages.

  3. Select your preferred filters to refine your search parameters.

  4. Sort by drop down will show preferred results at the top.
Screenshot of a product listing page after searching for the word gown on the new online catalogue.

Click a product in the product listing page to see more detail in the Product Description page.

Screenshot of a product description page on the new online catalogue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which other features will be added and when?

There are lots of other features which we will continue to build on and add to the current catalogue. These include things like pricing and stock levels, ordering and order history, masking and other features that will all be added over the spring and summer.

Will there be extra filters added in the future?

Yes, additional filters will be added to show things like ‘in stock’.

Will there be changes to the search results page (product listing page) so more information is shown?

Ideally we want to keep the search results page (product listing page) clean and uncluttered. Other planned features on this page will include compare, add to basket and quantity but we will continue to work with you, our pilot trusts to understand if there are any essential elements missing which are required and not met by using the various filters and sort by options.

What should I do if I spot a data problem with products in the new catalogue?

While we are piloting the new catalogue please report this to the programme team.

Some product images are missing – when will the rest be available?

There is a dedicated programme of activity within NHS Supply Chain which is focusing on data improvement. The most frequently ordered products are being prioritised. We are working with suppliers to ensure good quality images and data is provided. This will be an ongoing activity.

Do I need a login for the new catalogue?

No, at the moment you don’t need to log into the catalogue. Later when pricing is added to the catalogue, there will be a login process which we will communicate closer to the time.

Will the new catalogue work on a mobile?

Yes, the new catalogue will be available on mobile devices.

When will the rest of my pilot trust start using the new catalogue?

We’re working with each pilot trust to agree roll out approaches and will be led by the trust as to how soon they wish to extend using the new catalogue out to the wider teams. This may vary trust to trust and the trust will manage communicating any planned roll outs to affected people.

When will the rest of the NHS start using the new catalogue?

We will work with non-pilot trust to start rolling out the catalogue from summer/autumn 2024.

When will the old catalogue be switched off?

There are no set dates currently. We will need to ensure that all essential features are available in the new catalogue before switching off the old catalogue.

Troubleshooting

I can’t see prices

Prices will be visible as part of Release Three – later in the spring.

I can’t see stock

Stock positions for products stocked in our warehouses will be available in a later release. Blue Diamond and eDirect stock visibility will not be available as this information is not provided to us.

I can’t find an MPC/NPC/product in the new catalogue which is in the old catalogue

If you have tried various ways of finding the product through searching in the new catalogue using NPC, MPC, GTIN etc but still can’t find it please report this to the programme team.

I have found a product which has been assigned to the wrong eclass category

We receive the eclass categorisation from the supplier. If the category seems incorrect for the product please report this to the programme team we so can investigate.

I can’t see the supplier when I ‘sort by’ supplier

Supplier ‘sort by’ currently sorts in alphabetical order A-Z. You can check the supplier by clicking into a product from the product listing page (search results page).

There are too many categories within filter for my product search

Categories in the filters are based on the product categories related to your search results. However, we are aware that due to categorisation issues this may mean a large number of categories appear in the filters and are working to improve the data. If you’re looking for a specific category, you can search for this within the filters and select.

There are too many brands within the filter for my product search

Brands in the filters are based on the brands related to your search results. However we are aware that there are examples of multiple versions of a single brand appearing and are working to improve the data. If you’re looking for a specific brand, you can search for this within the filters and select.

The new catalogue is running too slow

Please check your wifi and network speeds. You can check your upload and download speeds by typing ‘run speed test’ into your browser and following the instructions. If you have reasonable responses and the catalogue is still running slowly, please report this to our programme team.

I’m having problems accessing the new catalogue on my browser

Please check there are no wifi or network issues. Access the catalogue via your corporate device using Chrome or Edge or a mobile device. If there are issues accessing the catalogue please report this to our programme team.