CLINICAL ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT

Five Steps to Improve Productivity

Robert Moorey, CREST, CBET
skills to ensure that we continue to improve what we are

S
ome may say they do not need to worry about pro- doing today with our current resources.
ductivity because they are not required to make a
report. While this may appear to be true on the Step 1: Establish Metrics
surface, this mindset is destined to fail. At some point, Until you know your business, you will never be able to
we are all asked to justify what we do, why we need cer- improve anything. Understanding all the variables
tain resources, and to validate that we are capable of han- involved in producing your product is essential. Once
dling the job. this is accomplished, your baselines can be established.
So what is productivity? Ask 10 different people and This is the most time-consuming task. The established
you will get 10 different answers. In economics, produc- baseline then will become the benchmark you use to
tivity is the ratio of what is produced to what is required measure your improvements.
to produce it. If two businesses make the same product For example, in a service department you may need to
with the same quality, quantity, and type of raw determine the number of service calls a technician, on
materials, then the company that produces the most average, can complete in a certain work period. Like-
goods in the same time period is the most productive. wise, in a manufacturing department, you may need to
establish the average number of products created in a
A Step-By-Step Approach work period.
Most of us see the relevance of improving productivity Take a step back and look at your industry, listen to
within our departments. When we talk about improving the competition. What norms does your industry try to
our productivity, we may become enamored with the track? What metric system does your competition sales
gurus of our day. We believe that what they are saying is rely upon, i.e. return-on-investment (ROI), number of
something new, improved, or even an advancement in processes error free, number of patients seen? From
thinking. In some cases this is correct, but in most cases this, you can get a sense of what the industry values and
they are simply restating time-tested practices—just what they see as telling signs of your productivity.
repackaging them.
Think of all the how-to books you have read in your Step 2: Identify Key
life. Most of them are filled with simple logic and com- Improvement Areas
mon sense. The same is true for productivity improve- Once you have defined your work and identified your
ment. There have been very few advances in business norms, you can then determine the key areas you wish to
management practice or in human resource manage- address in your first improvement process. To do this,
ment. Most advances are technological. But newer, faster you will need to understand the big picture.
computers that allow us to multi-task and automate Identifying how and where you fit into the organiza-
some processes are not the silver bullet to solving all our tion is a key consideration. Knowing how your depart-
problems. We still need to utilize good management ment impacts the organization's bottom-line numbers,
profit, cost of goods, and productivity is the next step.
Once you understand your role in the organization, you
Robert Moorey, MBA, CREST, CBET, is the regional director
of operations for Agility Healthcare can focus on the processes within your department that
Solutions, LLC, an equipment manage- have the greatest impact on the organization.
ment firm specializing in RFID tracking Before completing this task, sit down with your
of mobile assets for health care facili- supervisor and find out what concerns him/her and how
ties. Moorey has more than 12 years of
he/she is evaluating your job. Then sit down with your
management experience in the clinical
engineering field. He is also a member subordinates and address their concerns. This informa-
of AAMI’s Technology Management tion will help you spend your time wisely and help you
Council. focus on the main concerns first.

Biomedical Instrumentation & Technology 439

CLINICAL ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT
Robert Moorey

Step 3: Understand the ment has not thought through all of the issues they will
Processes Involved have to face to be successful. Success then comes down
Take time to understand the process you are trying to to clear and detailed communication.
improve. Follow the process from start to finish and map
out all the touch points (who does what and when). Step 5: Analyze the Results
Think about the resources involved (time, materials, Now that everyone has given the project a fair shot,
etc.). Understand the specific skill sets required for the study your new results and compare them to your previ-
process to be completed appropriately (i.e. can the task ous outcomes. Are they better? If not, then it is time to
be done by a junior technician?). rethink your strategy. Always be honest with your team.
Once you understand the process, you can find a bet- Share the results and let them know that you are com-
ter way to make improvements. You may find that you mitted to the outcome and that this process is not anoth-
employ too many people and the job is better done with er "pet project." If people can trust you and if they can
less staff, which would free up labor resources for other see this as an honest attempt to be better, then they will
tasks. You may find that you do not have enough quality be willing to give you a fair shot on future endeavors.
controls built in, or you have over engineered a simple With successful results behind you, it is time to ask
process. Now is the appropriate time to ask those hard another question: Can you do better? Spend some time
questions: Why do we do it this way? Could somebody understanding the data arriving from your new process.
else do this job? Can this task be farmed out to a strategic Study it carefully and be confident that you have a
partner? You need to look objectively at what you do and process that is realistic. Make your changes when every-
evaluate it. Once you have asked yourself the hard ques- one is expecting to restructure. If you are satisfied with
tions, you can build a plan to make advancements. your results, congratulations! Now you need to ensure
consistent compliance to the new process.
Step 4: Be a Champion for the Cause
Now that you know what you are dealing with and how Conclusion
you can make it better, it is necessary to assess everyone's Unfortunately, there is no magic pill for fixing or
involvement and convince them to "buy-into" your new improving your department. It is nothing more than
process. Do not try to get a room full of cheerleaders. Be good old-fashioned common sense, which is not so com-
content with a room full of willing skeptics. Let the new mon as it would seem. Keep in mind that process
plan be the thing that converts agnostics into believers. improvement never technically ends. Once you com-
Remember that it is normal for people to see it before plete one cycle, you find yourself back at the beginning
they can believe it, so be content to have willing people. asking yourself how you can improve on what you are
If you have those who are hostile to the changes, try now doing. If you want to be successful in business, you
to ease their concerns. In most cases, their resistance has will need to make many positive changes in your depart-
more to do with their insecurity than your new idea. If ment or company.
persuasion and reason is ineffective with them, then they Do not be afraid of adapting; it is inevitable. Instead,
may need to be removed from the team to ensure that try to position yourself to dictate the change in your
the program is given a fair shot to survive. You will need department. This will position you to ensure your
to spend a great deal of time talking through people's change is based on what is best for you, your staff, your
questions and concerns. department, your customers, and your company. Don't
Make sure you over communicate your intentions get caught asleep; then change will be forced upon you
with this new process and be specific. Let them know because the market dictates it. Let change happen
what the end goal is for the project, what is required of because it will make you better—better with your
them, what resources they will have for the job, and what resources, better to your clients, better with your staff,
is the duration of the test period. Chances are you will and consequently better for you.

have to repeat yourself often before everyone can begin We welcome your comments.
to see your vision. Write to: Managing Editor, c/o AAMI,
Most process improvements fail in the communica- 1110 N. Glebe Road, Suite 220, Arlington VA 22201
tion portion of the project. Either the vision is not com- or email: [email protected]
municated effectively or the champion for the improve-

440 November/December 2004