This article was originally written for and published by MedCity News.
The necessity for a multi-site and partially remote work environment has never been greater across the medical device industry. This shift demands new systems, processes and procedures to ensure productive collaboration between teams, where innovation and efficiency are critical for patient wellness and care.
With this workplace dynamic shift from in-person to hybrid, the tribal knowledge of seasoned workers can often get lost in the new normal of a distributed workforce. In the medical device field, this poses additional challenges due to the complex systems and specialized training required.
The burden of searching for information or being an information “gatekeeper” also places a significant cognitive load on employees. It can lead to excessive time and effort spent on retrieving information which detracts from focusing time on critical tasks – such as developing innovative products to better serve patients. This “brain drain” can even result in the loss of skilled workers, a potential detriment to a company.
Medical device companies that leverage today’s technology to better share and track product and safety information will outpace rivals and gain a competitive edge. They will be the innovators that can solve problems faster and streamline their workflows for optimal efficiency.
Fueling innovation with a unified technology platform
In the medical device field, time is invaluable and innovation can’t wait.
Having just one workflow implemented has some efficiency benefits. Yet, the real power of a system starts to exponentially unlock as more data and processes are consolidated within a unified platform. This consolidation leads to better decision making and accelerates the development of superior products and ultimately better patient outcomes.
Medical device companies with information stored in various locations often struggle with bringing new, large scale projects and devices to life. During the design phase, teams encounter bottlenecks due to fragmented systems or reliance on paper-based processes. When teams grow and projects slow, critical innovation is quickly hindered.
Accelerating problem resolution
Companies that focus attention on technology to streamline their quality management (QMS) processes with an electronic system can also increase speeds in product development. The impact of speed to market achievements are most measurable in design change projects, as they are typically shorter in duration and less subject to unknown risks as compared to larger scale new product development projects. By operating at faster speeds, medical device companies can take on additional projects with the same resources and ultimately, satisfy more customers.
Companies with established collaborative QMS processes will also excel in crisis management and thrive in the face of adversity. They will be the companies that can quickly address issues and make necessary adjustments. Having data in a single controlled digital location creates an historial electronic record for essential product information to be stored. This allows companies to quickly single out product issues, and solve those problems more rapidly for better overall customer satisfaction.
Optimizing operations: Improving workflow and collaboration
For most medical device companies, processes and procedures evolve gradually over time. Regulations are often changing and medical device companies must follow suit. Decisions need to be made quickly to adapt to changes, while keeping work streamlined and efficient.
Those that digitize their QMS and product lifecycle management (PLM) systems will create an ecosystem of data that leverages collective intelligence and thrives in the face of change. Failure to quickly address operational changes can result in bottlenecks in production and delays in ISO certifications and FDA approvals.
A streamlined system will also greatly enhance the workflow for employees. Rapidly accessible product information and automated process workflows foster stronger business continuity. Cloud-supported collaboration aids in speed to market as well as training initiatives that are often a part of the medical device industry.
Advancing patient care: The future focus
The new normal of work is split between in person and remote, allowing for seasoned tribal knowledge to easily be lost and errors to shortly follow. At the forefront of better patient care is speed, efficiency and innovation delivered through modern technology. Companies that leverage cloud software to work more collaboratively will free up time and resources to devote to the creation of new improved and safer products for their patients.
.png)
