You’re considering implementing an automated order and package delivery tracking system for your hospital. At long last, the time has come to invest in a solution to improve your facility’s receiving and package tracking systems.
There are so many reasons to make the update. It could be that you want to update your hospital’s outdated receiving software. Or, perhaps your hospital’s still in the time- and resource-wasting practice of logging packages manually when they come into your hospital’s loading dock. Regardless, you know that it’s time to overhaul your system.
Of course you’re interested in a state-of-the-art integrated order and package tracking system, but how do you know which system would best fit your hospital? It’s ok. Choosing the appropriate system for your hospital isn’t quite as challenging as you think it’s going to be. There are six simple questions you need to ask before you make the final decision, and the answers will help you target the features you need to help you pull your hospital’s receiving department out of the dark ages and into the 21st century.
If you’re ready to take the leap and purchase an integrated, one step, order and package tracking system for your hospital, ask yourself these questions…
1. Will the software easily integrate into your hospital’s current ERP or MMIS system?
Naturally, this question only pertains to facilities that are currently using some kind of parcel receiving software. (If you’re still logging everything manually, you’re about to experience a life-changing increase in your department’s efficiency!) If your package tracking system can work with preexisting systems, not only will your productivity increase, but your ROI and your organization will get a boost, too.
Any system that can’t cooperate easily and exchange order detail information with the ERP/MMIS will just create additional work for your already beleaguered staff, adding expensive man-hours to your overburdened budget. Another option would be to create ridiculous workarounds that are both overly complicated as well as time-wasting, increasing your stress as your ROI plummets.
2. Can your staff learn how to use the software quickly?
New software can be complicated; how long will it take for your team to be fully up-to-speed on your new integrated order and package tracking system? Is it a matter of hours, or will you be wasting days? A new system shouldn’t need a huge chunk of time dedicated to training; if it does, it’s likely that your staff will be uninterested in using it.
Also, introducing an insanely complicated system won’t accomplish your ultimate goal: increased efficiency and productivity. You need a system that’s fast, with intuitive menu options as well as an easily understandable user interface, and mobile devices offering your team the ability to capture all the delivery data you need in seconds, cutting down significantly on the time spent on each package.
3. How flexible is the system?
Your hospital’s receiving department has developed processes over the years to expedite the way you do business. It’s important that you find an order receiving and package tracking system that will not just integrate seamlessly into these processes, but also enhance them. A flexible tracking system will work even when there’s disruption in your routine; it should be easily configured, as well as quickly adaptable when an unusual situation presents itself.
4. Will it improve recipient notifications?
A package or order arrives at your facility, and the recipient has requested to be notified upon arrival; what’s the procedure for notification? Do you even have a procedure? If your facility is like the majority of hospitals, it’s probable that the recipient or requester, who most often are clinical staff, calls the mailroom, and then the person who takes the call records the request on a post-it note that gets lost among the yellow lion’s mane of notes stuck to their monitor. We don’t like the odds that the recipient will get the call or priority handling they requested when the package arrives. Time matters in your business.
One of the many advantages of having automated package tracking at your hospital is the ability to create a system that will notify the recipient immediately upon the delivery of their package or order and automatically prompt your staff with special handling instructions. Imagine a day without the “Where’s my package?” calls that you and your staff know all too well! Imagine a day when a surgery isn’t delayed because a post-it note fell off of someone’s monitor.
5. Can it be scaled to fit your growing hospital?
Any order receiving and package tracking system worth your while will be scalable, customizable and ERP/MMIS neutral, growing with your hospital as it expands. It should be flexible enough to allow you to add or change process flows and features you might require in the future; if your hospital goes from processing hundreds of packages every day to thousands, you and your team won’t skip a beat. Being ERP/MMIS neutral means changing the ERP/MMIS doesn’t require down time or having to change your standardized processes just because the MMIS changed from Lawson to Peoplesoft or any other ERP/MMIS.
6. Is customer support a major component of the package tracking system?
There will be questions when your hospital adopts an integrated order and package tracking system; with that in mind, does the company offer a solid support system for their software? You need to know that they will back you up with responsiveness as well as speedy resolution to your issues. If the company in question has a poor track record for service, inefficient (or nonexistent) staff training, and an unwillingness to help you resolve issues as they arise, you should probably pass on their software.
If you’re seeking an advanced package tracking system for your hospital, we’d love to help. Contact us today for more information!
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