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Avoiding Courier Workflow Disruption Due To A Broken Mobile Device 

Broken Mobile Device HoneywellMedical couriers live on the road and mobile computers have become a necessity for them to perform their jobs effectively and efficiently. While courier dependency on mobile devices may vary depending on each lab’s specific operational requirements, these devices are unquestionably a “need” for courier operations in today’s digital world. When a couriers mobile device goes missing or simply doesn’t work it can be a major headache for operations at best, or it can bring an entire courier route to a halt at worst. In either case it’s an experience lab administrators and courier managers want to avoid. However, life happens and at some point, managers will likely have to deal with an inoperable device interrupting daily courier operations. Knowing this, mangers should be proactive to ensure customers and courier operations are impacted as little as possible.

What will you do when your courier’s mobile device stops working?

First let’s consider what operational functions could potentially be impacted by a courier’s broken or missing mobile device:

  • Courier safety
  • Communication with courier
  • Viewable route sequence
  • Directions to customer sites
  • STAT dispatch notifications
  • Courier communication with customer
  • Inability to track specimens/supplies electronically
  • Getting customer signatures
  • Entering customer visit notes
  • Verification of courier location and stops
  • More depending on courier’s job function with a device

Loosing these functions can cause major setbacks for a lab. So how can courier managers and lab administrators mitigate risks for inoperable mobile devices? The simple answer is to be prepared and plan ahead for a disruption.

The first step in planning for a mobile device disruption is to:

  1. Have a back-up device ready
  2. Understand your standard mobile device warranty
  3. Inquire about service contracts covering repair and replacements for damaged devices.

Backup Devices:

Having a backup device is a necessity for medical courier operations. The number of backup devices you need will depend on the number of couriers you employ. An operation with only 5 couriers may only need one backup device while an operation with 50 couriers may want 3 to 5 extra devices on hand. Having spare devices that are setup and ready to go for a courier’s daily activity will prevent most headaches associated with a lost or broken device.

Device Warranty:

Understanding your mobile device warranty is important because sometimes managers think their device is covered for accidental breaks and can be fixed quickly. However, basic warranties are usually limited in repairs, rarely cover major damages, and provide little to no technical support.  Once you understand what your warranty covers and when it expires you can decide if a more inclusive service contract should be considered.  

Service Contracts:

Comprehensive service contracts are typically available for businesses using enterprise grade devices. Enterprise grade devices are designed for the wear and tear of daily business operations that consumer devices are strained by. Although some consumer devices may have narrow service contracts available, they are still very limited in scope. With enterprise grade devices like the Honeywell CT40 mobile computer with built-in barcode scanner, a service contract can provide:

  • Three or five years of fixed protection, with optional renewals
  • Telephone-based technical support
  • Online return authorization requests and access to online service history reports
  • Customizable upgrades such as:
    • Comprehensive Coverage
    • Battery Replacement
    • Device re-imaging
    • On-site repairs
    • Guaranteed depot turnaround time

At MCE we have seen mobile devices that were accidently left on top a vehicle, fell off, run over, and were beyond repair. With the three-year service contracts offered through MCE if a device is broken it will be repaired, and if a device is broken beyond repair it will be replaced. Additionally, a spare device can quickly be put into service to avoid workflow disruption, and MCE help desk provides customer support to resolve any issues with mobile dives and will facilitate repair.

MCE highly recommends back-up mobile computers and service contracts for protection against workflow disruptions due to broken devices. In the long run the cost of a service contract can be much cheaper than the cost of replacing a broken device.

Connect with us right now, and we’ll be happy to discuss MCE’s mobile devices and set up a personalized demo where we will learn more about your lab’s needs, and explore how MCE can improve your medical courier operations. Contact us now to get started.

 

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181 East Evans St. | Florence, SC, 29506
Phone: 843-656-2084 or 877-331-7427
www.medicalcourier.com
contact@medicalcourier.com