Three reasons you're struggling to achieve a return on your mobile investments

Improve your ROI on mobile investments by understanding three of the most common factors to cause a decrease in returns: inventory shrinkage, workflow friction, and disjointed technology.

Mobile isn't the future; it's the technology of today. Organizations looking to improve productivity and satisfaction, or reduce costs, often look to unlock the power of mobile as an avenue to achieving their goals. However, mobile programs can quickly lose steam without producing a real return on investment (ROI) if they don’t have the right approach to mobile access.

Top three factors decreasing ROI

Let's take a look at three of the most common factors that contribute to dwindling ROI in mobile investments:

1. Inventory shrinkage, the direct and indirect costs of device loss
2. Workflow friction, created by barriers to access and other security requirements
3. Disjointed technology, too many tools and disconnected workflows that hinder adoption

Inventory shrinkage due to device loss

In a recent case study, a leading Northeast health system cited a staggering $500,000 in annual estimated costs related to device loss. Device loss plagues most organizations that implement shared mobile devices, due to a lack of visibility and accountability when devices change hands. Whether devices are truly lost, or simply misplaced and forever forgotten in the back of a locker or stuffed in a drawer, many organizations – like the one in the case study above – report double digit device loss each year.

It's critical for organizations to have systems in place to prevent device loss before it happens –even more important for those already experiencing this trouble. It isn’t enough to merely lock down devices. Organizations need:

• Visibility into who was last assigned a device
• Visibility into when and where a device was returned
• Simple automated ways to trigger alerts when devices aren’t returned

Ensuring visibility and building escalation paths into workflows allow for faster remediation of misplaced devices, drive accountability for end users, and support faster identification when devices need replacement.

Workflow friction and poor user experience

Workflow friction reaches far beyond wasted time. With resource constraints, turnover, and burnout at an all-time high, every second counts.

Healthcare organizations want mobile technology to simplify bedside workflows, improve adoption of the EHR, and support real-time access to information from anywhere. Unfortunately, the security and access requirements for mobile tools can get in the way of that productivity because they:

• Require pins and reauthentication every 30 minutes
• Create constant lock-outs
• Force use of complex passwords that need to be frequently re-entered

When staff are faced with these obstacles, adoption quickly wanes. Organizations invest hundreds of thousands of dollars into mobile programs only to see their returns threatened by lack of use.

Thankfully, creating a personalized environment that gives clinicians quick, frictionless access to critical tools and information — regardless of what device they pick up — isn't out of reach.

An identity-driven approach to device assignment and application access lets organizations meet security needs without compromising workflow efficiency. A good example of this is the Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS). NGHS successfully broke down adoption barriers to make the most of their mobile investments with a robust mobile solution that supports a unified communications program on shared devices.

Disjointed technology, and redundant investments

The challenge of disparate technology is a major roadblock in leveraging the full potential of mobile tools in healthcare. Clinicians are often burdened with multiple devices for different functions, which is cumbersome and inefficient. They may be carrying around one device that supports EHR access, another device to support alarm management communications, and a third device to access emails and administrative tools.

This multiplicity of devices literally and figuratively weighs down the clinical tool belt, adding extra steps and shifting focus away from patient care. Failure to consolidate technology needs into an all-in-one mobile solution creates additional adoption issues and increases costs, as organizations invest in redundant technology, licensing, and hardware.

Ensure your return on investment

With the right mobile devices and technology, your organization can have the full, robust functionality clinicians need for tasks like med administration and scanning barcodes, while simultaneously supporting voice calls or linking into your nurse call system. You’ll see improved adoption, productivity, and returns.

This webinar shares how leading healthcare organizations are leveraging the right mix of technology to improve the ROI of their mobile programs.