For healthcare establishments to offer quality health services to the public, the efficient utilization of assets is critical. The assets range from infrastructural resources to large clinical machinery like ultrasound machines. The optimal use of assets leads to higher productivity and an overall boost in healthcare operations. Achieving those objectives is simple when you use hospital asset management software.

Two of many significant reasons for the faltering of healthcare operations is the over or underutilization of assets. The former causes premature wear and tear of assets, while the latter hampers the efficiency of healthcare operations. There are several tools with which to tackle these problems. A dedicated asset management system is the best.

Increasing the utilization of assets in your healthcare establishment helps improve customer satisfaction, credibility, and patient care. We discuss the five steps to accomplish it. Before that, we discuss why asset management is critical in the healthcare industry. Let’s get started.

The importance of asset management in healthcare

Healthcare operations heavily rely on the assets within the organization. As long as the assets are in working condition and available in sufficient numbers, daily operations are efficient. The opposite scenario is undesirable.

Shoddy asset management is often the cause of using old-fashioned asset management tools or an obsolete asset management strategy. Comprehensive asset management in the healthcare segment calls for proper tracking, monitoring, and control of resources. The lesser the guesswork and the more data underpins it, the better the management strategy. With an efficient healthcare asset management solution, you can effectively oversee your resources, leading to:

• Lesser expenses
• Increase in asset lifespan
• Higher returns
• Faster operational efficiency

Another pivotal importance of asset management in healthcare is ensuring the proper utilization of assets.

Increase healthcare asset utilization in 5 steps

A healthcare asset management system lets you improve the efficiency of assets in five steps. Let’s take a look at what they are.

1. Record asset inventory

The first step to enhancing asset utilization is to create a register containing all assets within the organization. Asset management software provides comprehensive fields to enter crucial details such as asset:

• Acquisition date
• Cost of purchase
• Serial number
• Model number
• Barcode tag
• Depreciation rate
• Custodian

Creating the asset register enables you to accomplish operational objectives based on the available resources.

2. Track assets

The next step is keeping close tabs on resources. It helps to know crucial factors like asset quantity, location, personnel using an asset, movement of resources, and more. Asset management software speeds up and automates this process by integrating with barcode scanners and RFID/NFC tags. As a result, you get real-time asset tracking information.

3. Measure asset utilization

Before enhancing asset utilization, you must know the current frequency of asset usage. You can measure this metric by collating and extrapolating historic asset data. Performing this task manually is tedious. On the contrary, an asset management system automates the gathering and processing of asset data into insightful analytics. They reveal asset uptimes, downtimes, and unprecedented breakdowns.

4. Create a preventative maintenance plan

To keep your assets working at their maximum potential all the time, you must perform servicing regularly. Asset management software allows you to create a proactive maintenance plan with reminder notifications. You can also create a maintenance checklist and track the progress of asset maintenance.

5. Optimize asset management strategy

Finally, you can optimize workflows to spend lesser time doing routine activities and eliminate errors. The insights from the analytics asset management systems provide open up optimization opportunities.

Summing up

Accelerating asset utilization boosts healthcare operations in every way. It also extends the lifecycle of assets and keeps them functioning at all times, which reduces expenses and improves asset returns on investments. Implementing the best healthcare asset management system in your establishment can revolutionize your daily activities. Get SmartAMS – the best healthcare asset tracking solution. It is fast, cloud-based, secure, and tailored for hospital asset management. Contact us to know more.