Federal Healthcare Facility

Challenge

A major regional healthcare facility operated by the federal government had suspected for some time that it should be getting more for each dollar it spends on technology and document management applications. It also believed that product reliability and proactive account support by its current printer vendor were inadequate. Faced with the ending of a multi-year contract and a history of small and irksome fees that its vendor claimed were outside the contract’s scope, the facility’s IT staff decided the time was right to consider a change.

The healthcare facility’s IT team performed weeks of rigorous side-by-side testing of devices from several manufacturers. Key operational requirements included:

-A consistent user interface within each vendor’s product family -Scalability for future scanning and routing of document images-Support for PIV (personal identity verification) cards for user authentication -Holding print jobs in the queue until released by authenticated users at any printer -Improved reliability -Remote fleet management -Availability of environmentally friendly high-yield toner cartridges

Two additional requirements were ones the team deemed vital yet unquantifiable: Choosing a printer vendor with a proven record of managing customer relationships as a partnership and expertise working with federal governmental agencies

Solution

After a lengthy process of analyzing proposals from several vendors and the results of its hands-on field testing the healthcare facility selected output technology and services from Lexmark.

Lexmark’s aggressive pricing, and its detailed analysis of the existing output environment with suggested improvements, demonstrated that implementation of Lexmark technology would indeed save the facility significantly.

The initial deployment replaced existing devices with Lexmark units that occupy less space, consume less electricity and introduce new document imaging and workflow capabilities—all at a lower cost. With the former supplier’s printers and copiers retired, Lexmark industry experts worked with the organization to fine-tune the location of Lexmark units to more closely match device capacity with user demand. This best practice of strategic deployment is allowing the facility to lower its overall device headcount, further reducing expenditures.

Paper documents, including those furnished by patients, are now scanned to email or to an electronic records management system, eliminating delay-prone manual routing. Patient admissions packages and doctors’ orders for prescriptions or medical procedures are now handled electronically, further cutting paper use and speeding up patient care. User authentication through PIV cards is underway.

A service level agreement was negotiated to greatly improve on response times and guarantee higher levels of communication. To view proof that these terms were not simply promises, the facility’s team examined other Lexmark installations within the federal government, including other healthcare facilities and military. The customer was able to examine several current real-world examples of how Lexmark manages its accounts as a full partnership.

Desktop printers and departmental multifunction products (MFPs), carefully chosen to match capacity and demand, were selected. The MFPs feature Lexmark’s e-Task interface, a vivid color touchscreen operator panel that visually guides users in performing tasks with minimal, if any, training. Fully adjustable to individual users’ optimal viewing angle, the e-Task panel is easily customized, and when used with Lexmark software, allows complicated business processes to be initiated with a single finger tap

The Lexmark team also installed software tools empowering the facility to remotely manage its printer fleet, respond to service alerts and generate realtime performance, maintenance and usage reports via a browser.

Results

From its initial single-site deployment of 27 printers and MFPs, the program has expanded throughout dozens of facilities in the region to include more than 50 Lexmark devices. Regular meetings with the customer and Lexmark’s fast response to questions and concerns, have vastly improved upon the previous vendor’s service levels.

High-yield toner cartridges have lengthened replacement intervals. When a fresh cartridge is installed, employees use the same box to return the old one to Lexmark for recycling.

In support of its sustainability initiative, several workflow enhancements have placed the hospital on track to cut paper use by more than half. Scanning existing documents to create an electronic counterpart has cut down on making copies. When printing is necessary, the growing use of two-sided (duplex) printing, along with printing two or four reduced page images per sheet, is cutting paper use further. Authentication is also supporting the group’s paper reduction initiatives. Print jobs remain in the network print queue until users walk up to any printer and release the job for printing. The result is the elimination of unclaimed print jobs that pile up and waste paper. With solid results to back up its decision, the facility has extended its contract with Lexmark for two additional years.

For this federally-operated network of medical facilities, cost reduction, improved service levels and working with its printer supplier as a partner were paramount. The expansion of the Lexmark installation from 27 devices more than 50 is testament to Lexmark’s ability to provide cost-effective networked output management solutions and to work with customers to meet their objectives.