Apr 18, 2016

It takes multiple expertise to build continuous improvement

Estimated reading time: 4-6 minutes

It sounds like a daunting task: build a flexible suite of continuous improvement solutions that provide a path to help find and maximize opportunities for doing more with less, all the while helping focus on patient care requires a multi-disciplinary approach and a unique focus on quality.

Innovation Matters takes a look at how the Quality and Regulatory team from Philips Diagnostic Imaging Solutions pulled together the knowledge and experience drawn from Healthcare Informatics, Philips Innovation Center and Security to enable PerformanceBridge.

“I realize we’re a diverse business, but there’s a lot we can re-use and learn from each other”, says Peter Hennessey, Head of Quality for Diagnostic Imaging Solutions. When Radiology Solutions and Customer Services started developing and integrating PerformanceBridge, a flexible suite of continuous improvement solutions, things had to move quickly to deliver on time. Building on best practices from others helped speed up the process.

Not only did we need to move quickly but we also had to leverage what was already happening as part of our quality transformation.

Innovating to deliver the first-of-its-kind services platform and innovating in quality was one of the key requirements dictated by Sham Sokka, General Manager of Radiology Solutions.

Help hospitals to focus on their patients

Operational excellence and continuous improvement is not only a theme for Philips. Hospitals are increasingly adopting a mindset in which they have to achieve more with less. “Philips has a long track record in the healthcare industry, and is a recognized leader in Imaging Equipment and its maintenance,” says Bert Mollen, Development Leader of Customer Services Imaging. “In order to help customers get the most value out of their investment, we developed PerformanceBridge.” The software solution empowers hospitals to maximize opportunities by doing more with less while focusing on patient care. It’s a new proposition from Philips launched at RSNA 2016.

Quality and regulatory compliance is key

The PerformanceBridge tool helps users realize operational excellence by unlocking the potential of (multi-vendor) data. The data is processed into insights which can then be translated into actions. “When bringing new products or services to the market one always has to comply with regulations and standards. That is a given. In addition there is a quality standard we as Philips want to live up to,” says Peter.

The trick is how to deliver quality services in a consistent manner in the most efficient way. Procedures should be easy to understand and easy to follow.

The answer to that is the Philips Quality Management System (QMS). This system manages the processes and procedures for a business and ensures compliance to regulations, without the worry.

Look outside your own area

PerformanceBridge is a next generation of service offerings, and in fact integrates multiple software platforms. Developing this software-enabled services business is different from building great imaging equipment and software. “To enter this new space, the first step I took was gathering the available knowledge we have at Philips,” explains Peter. Experts bringing the work that was already done came from Diagnostic Imaging, Healthcare Informatics, the Philips Innovation Center and Security. Together the multi-disciplinary team used Agile to adjust to what was needed to make the proposition a success. During development, users regularly validated things like ease of use and whether the procedures were easy to understand. Says Bert, “I really dislike inefficiencies that can easily be avoided. For me this is an example of teaming up to excel for our customers and for Philips!”

The future is ours

PerformanceBridge will continue to evolve and is just at the start of its potential, which includes expansion of its services over time. Says Peter, “We have a baseline for this new business proposition and by embracing the Agile way of working, we prioritized the customer and their needs.” The Diagnostic Imagine team will continue to use best practices to address compliance matters.

Another critical success factor for moving forward is the continuous improvement of current services offered. This has been captured by implementing international standards - IEC 20000 CSI for the die-hards!

“In all,” says Bert, “we are providing an innovation that matters, with everybody teaming up and to me it’s clear: the future is ours!”

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Innovation matters team

Innovation Matters delivers news, opinions and features about healthcare, and is focused on the professionals who work within the industry, as well as Philips as a cutting-edge health technology organization.