The ultimate goal of every healthcare organization is to deliver exceptional patient care. To achieve this, stakeholders must effectively manage and optimize the use of both physical and technological resources. However, managing equipment, devices, and pharmaceutical supplies is not as straightforward as it may seem. This is where EAM in healthcare industry plays a crucial role in ensuring resources are efficiently tracked and maintained.
Acknowledging this problem and to ensure the assets are managed efficiently within the organization, many industry leaders have adopted enterprise asset management software. This software is a critical tool that enhances patient care and operational efficiency by managing the assets required. In this article, we will look at what enterprise asset management software is and how healthcare organizations can benefit from it.
What Is Enterprise Asset Management Software?
Enterprise asset management (EAM) software is a tool that helps organizations oversee and manage their physical assets throughout their lifecycle. This means that from procurement to disposal, every aspect of an asset is taken care of by the software. The tool is a major player in operational management in the healthcare industry.
An EAM tracks the processes, status, and performance of assets to reduce downtime, maximize asset performance, and extend their lifespan. The tool integrates various functions, including predictive maintenance, compliance management, and asset tracking, to ensure smooth operations.
Now that you are familiar with an EAM, let’s understand how it works. The software stores all the data related to your assets. This enables the organization to manage work orders, schedule maintenance tasks, track asset performance, and improve operational efficiency.
For this, the tool leverages several technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), real-time asset monitoring, the Internet of Things (IoT), and more.
By utilizing an EAM, organizations can effectively allocate resources, manage work orders, maintain assets, minimize downtime, and make informed decisions. In healthcare, EAM facilitates a smooth workflow, helps stakeholders make data-driven decisions, reduces downtime, and ensures that assets are available at the right time and in the right place.
The Role of an EAM in the Healthcare Industry
An EAM software is vital for patient care. With its help, healthcare organizations can ensure they are providing high-quality services to patients.
Medical equipment, pharmaceutical supplies, and other inventories are efficiently tracked, ensuring they are available whenever needed. This enhances patient care and helps provide better services. Here is a detailed look at how an EAM benefits the healthcare industry:
1. Centralized Repository of Data
The EAM stores data related to all the assets in your organization. This serves as a blueprint that helps you monitor asset performance, schedule preventive maintenance, plan inspections, and minimize downtime.
Whenever you need any information related to an asset, the EAM provides instant access. The platform will instantly provide you with all the information and data related to your assets, enabling you to strategize your operations more effectively.
2. Effective Decision-Making
Without a centralized location for asset information, decision-making will be very time-consuming. Moreover, there is also a high chance of inaccuracy in the process.
The EAM replaces guesswork with real-time, accurate data. This helps you make informed decisions about your assets and perform maintenance and repair tasks without wasting time. This feature also enables you to handle emergency situations more confidently, because each decision is backed by data.
3. Improve the Overall Safety of the Organization
With the help of the EAM, stakeholders can also track recurring problems in the assets. They are able to identify when an asset is lagging behind and when it is a threat to the employees working in the organization.
When assets are not maintained, accidents are very common. With the help of an EAM, you can prevent accidents and harmful outcomes. As a result, this provides your employees with a safe working environment where they are happy and motivated.
4. Prolongs Asset Lifespan
The enterprise asset management tool may initially feel like an expensive investment, but in the long run, it saves a significant amount of money. With accurate data, you can use it to track whether your assets are functioning properly. With this feature, you can accurately address inefficiencies in the assets before they become a serious problem.
This proactive approach helps increase their lifespan, which ultimately saves you money in the long run. The EAM tracks the entire lifecycle of the assets, alerting stakeholders when an asset is underperforming and requires immediate attention.
Conclusion
Every healthcare organization strives to deliver the best possible service to its patients. However, challenges in the process, such as the lack of an asset management plan and system, can hinder these efforts.
The sector has historically struggled with asset management, which has resulted in inefficiencies in patient care. As a solution, stakeholders are investing in enterprise asset management software. The tools help manage the organization’s assets, enabling service providers to focus on more strategic tasks.
