organize and create folders for each
manufacturer, that is best performed during the
technician acceptance inspection. Next, we
create another folder by “model number” that
belongs to that manufacturer and then place the
operator and service manuals along with any
other data into the newly organized equipment
manual folder. Congratulations! You have
successfully increased space for something else
such as that new break room you've always
wanted. In addition, having most if not all your
technical manuals in .pdf format gives
technicians flexibility and portability to open
those manuals anywhere in the hospital while
they're performing routine maintenance and
calibration tasks. Furthermore, .pdf files offer a
higher level of data encryption and security.
3. Standardize your monthly workload.
Workload forecasting is the process of
predicting how work orders vary by department
month to month. How are technicians work
orders spread out every month? You should
examine each department by group and
calculate its work order sum in order to
investigate what work orders are missing from
that group. For example, in the illustration, a
hospital with three floors has our Biomedical
Equipment Technician (BMET) making his/her
monthly work order rounds re-certifying medical
equipment for patient usage. As shown, each is
grouped by color on the legend (See fig 2).
Suppose the month is January and our BMET
has assigned work orders from the following
departments:
you'll reorganize work orders to give the
technician the best use of his/her productivity
time. First, list all departments, number of work
orders, and by month the devices that are going
to be inspected (see fig 3). Next, rearrange work
orders for each department to minimize
technicians travel time between locations. Other
factors are: types of devices and estimated PM
times per device. After that, evaluate workload
trends if historical data is available and/or
analyze the department strategic plan as well as
then map it out to help effectively change
processes for the better.
4. Streamline benchstock parts and supplies.
Do you have three shelves full of unused or
obsolete parts and supplies? Perhaps, these
were from equipment you turned in 3 years ago.
I question anymore the need to even have a
bench stock if a HTM department can obtain a
credit card from materiel management to directly
purchase their own parts, components, services,
and supplies. Not only does having your own
credit card cut out all the red tape but also
speeds up repair times since technciains can go
directly downtown and charge it on the card or
order parts overnight or even next day.
Reducing benchstock to soley emergency or
critical devices reduces overhead costs since
you're purchasing parts and supplies "Just In
Time" thus creating space to be utlized for
something else (i.e. shop dart board or pingpong table). Our supply department is our dart
rivals...nothing wrong with building relationships
through a little comaradie.
5. Normalize equipment high-impact
purchases. Does your hospital have a bad
habit of excluding HTM during purchasing of any
• Family Medicine
type of equipment? How about purchasing many
• Internal Medicine
different makes and models? If so, you need to
resolve this problem with leadership. Why?
• Cardiology
Hospitals over time throw more money away by
As you'll notice, work orders could be spread out
not standardizing equipment (i.e. one style of
from different department groups as well as
infusion pum p, or defibrillator).
location. You should start thinking about how