Choosing the Best Software to Streamline Medical Courier Management

When it comes to medical labs and managing medical courier services, there’s no such thing as a “one-size-fits-all” solution—especially when it comes to managing the logistics of couriers and tracking specimens. Considering static or dynamic routes, time-windows, specimen & supply tracking, STAT dispatches, lockboxes, and proof of pickup/delivery can add to the complexities of managing medical courier operations.

Medical courier workflows are by nature unique compared to the delivery systems of other industries.   That’s why choosing the right courier software, like MCE, is so important. A rigid, cookie-cutter system designed for use in many industries can create inefficiencies and unnecessary headaches. However, systems like MCE, provide a solution that adapts to your lab’s unique workflow—not the other way around.

Finding a software and mobile application to manage your courier operations doesn’t have to be a difficult task. Understanding your current operations and what questions to ask will help you determine which courier management systems will best meet your needs.

Evaluating Your Medical Courier Operations

First, take a step back and assess how the logistics of your courier operations work today. Understanding your courier workflow, and noting where strengths, weaknesses, and inefficiencies lay will build a foundation for finding a system that truly meets your needs. After nearly two decades of working with medical labs, we’ve found these are some of the key areas to consider:

• Courier Management – How many couriers are you overseeing and what are the main issues you encounter with managing your couriers?
• Mobile Device & Mobile App – What type of device do couriers use, how dependable are they, what is its lifespan, can they read barcodes quickly, is the mobile app easy to use and intuitive? Does the mobile app collect the necessary data for reporting and proof of delivery? What issues need to be addressed?
• Routing & Dispatching – How are your routes created now, and what level of route optimization and dispatching could make it more efficient?
• Time Windows – Do your clinical customers require specimens be picked up during specific days and/or time windows?
• Specimen Tracking – How often do specimens go missing or are lost? What seems to be the culprit of missing specimens (couriers, clinical staff, others)? Do you need to track every specimen or just priority samples? Do you have hubs or transfer samples between couriers that needs to be tracked?
• Real-Time Volume Monitoring – What are the needs of lab staff to see incoming sample volumes? Are they able to prep before samples arrive?
• Supply Tracking – Are your couriers delivering more than just specimens? Are their issues with tracking supplies, and do you need a feature designed to handle the logistics of supply deliveries?
• Reporting & Management – What data insights and reports are essential for your operations that you may not have now?
• Customer Requirements – What do your clients expect in terms of tracking and reporting specimens sent to your lab vs. what they have now?
• IT & Integration – What internal IT resources do you have, and what integrations would make your current operation more efficient? How much IT support is provided to manage operations now?

Since every lab has different needs, it’s important to gather input from all the key teams—couriers, dispatchers, IT staff, administrators, and specimen receivers. Surveys or one-on-one interviews can uncover what’s working, where there are inefficiencies, and what features would make the biggest impact. With this insight, you’ll be better equipped to ask the right questions and choose software that fits your medical courier operations.

Choosing the Right Software: What to Ask

There are plenty of courier software options on the market, but most are designed for general delivery services like food, retail, or general delivery services—not for the unique demands of medical labs and medical courier operations. These types of systems are usually considered cookie cutter systems designed as a one-size-fits-all solution. However, medical courier services have unique workflows compared to other industries and therefore require specialized logistical solutions. To ensure you’re getting a system that meets your needs, start by asking vendors these key questions:

• Current Workflow Needs – Based on your previous evaluation of your operation, ask specific and detailed questions. Will this system provide features that meet current workflow needs, simplify management, require changes in workflows, address areas of concern?
• Industry Experience – How well do you understand the challenges of medical courier operations?
• Client Base – How many medical labs use your software?
• Scalability – Can your system handle operations of our size, from small teams to large fleets?
• Longevity – How long have your medical lab clients been using your system?
• Device Compatibility – What type of devices do you support and are compatible with? Devices such as the Honeywell CT37 are considered enterprise grade mobile phones which are built for applications like medical courier services and quick scanning of medical samples for proof of delivery.
• Support – What type of support is provided for implementation, training, long term support, upgrades, system issues, new feature requests? Are there additional costs for support or new feature requests?
• Costs – How are costs structured – By user (courier, administrator, customer), by device, etc.

A company should be confident and well versed in answering questions specific to medical courier operations and should demonstrate its flexibility to meet the logistics of your lab’s unique courier operations.

MCE’s Software for Medical Courier Logistics & Management

MCE is a logistics software built for the unique needs of medical courier operations. Utilized by outreach medical laboratories nationwide, features in MCE are based on customer recommendations, making MCE the most flexible medical courier management system on the market. If you’re looking for a software and medical courier software solution or a mobile app to streamline your operations, contact MCE for a personalized demo and quote.