BOC, Novation sign agreement

The BOC Group, a provider of industrial gases and vacuum technologies, has cut a multiyear deal with supply chain management company Novation to offer bulk and compressed gases to members and affiliates of VHA and the University Health System Consortium (UHC). Prior to the deal, BOC had long-standing supply contracts with many members of VHA, a national healthcare alliance. Under the terms of the new agreement, BOC will renew its contracts with VHA, which are estimated to account for more than $100 million in sales, and offer its services to the balance of VHA's membership as well as UHC's member academic medical centers, which number close to 200. The contract allows VHA and UHC members to choose among a set of optional services such as BOC's proprietary Tel-Tank telemetry system for remote monitoring of onsite bulk storage tanks, vendor-managed inventory systems that handle customers' gas and equipment requirements, and a variety of eBusiness tools designed to reduce costs.