This document discusses how outsourcing field service tasks can help medical device companies deliver better and leaner field service. Some key benefits outlined include receiving a one-stop solution and single point of contact, lowering costs through centralized specialist resources, having the ability to scale services at will, receiving a customized solution tailored to a company's specific needs, ensuring quality is measured by outcomes, and gaining access to the best talent when needed. The document concludes with a case study of how one medical device company successfully managed a major voluntary recall through outsourcing.
2. Better, leaner engineering field services is here
Do you deploy technical field service talent for repairs, upgrades, installations, remediation,
break-fixes or calibration of medical devices? If you do, you are no doubt managing increasing
administration, compliance and regulatory requirements, alongside the need to find talented
engineers to do the work on time and on budget.
As a supplier to one of the most heavily regulated industries in the world, the quality and
timeliness of the technical support your customers receive is critical—not just when things go
wrong, but every single day for routine tasks too.
Recalls, product upgrades, government mandates and scheduled quality checks or repairs all
take significant resources to staff and project manage. As compliance requirements and product
complexity increase, so too does the task of properly installing and maintaining the medical
devices that millions of patients rely upon each year across the US.
Introduction /02
3. There is a better, leaner way to
manage this growing task.
/03
Here are the six key benefits to
outsourcing the field service task
in the medical device industry.
5. Therearehundredsofoutsourcingprovidersinthemedicaldevicefield
acrosstheUS.However,thereareonlyaselectfewthatprovidea
one-stopapproachtotrulystreamlinetheentireprocess,endtoend.
Unlike traditional outsourcing providers, we project manage, as well as source and
deploy technical talent for engineering field service tasks every single day. Once our
customers validate and approve a fix or upgrade to a device, we will schedule, deliver
and quality control the entire process. It is a one-stop solution that requires nothing more
than approval and validation from the client.
We coordinate client projects centrally to source technicians, manage the project
plan and provide customized reporting for every program. Our clients also receive a
dedicated Program/Project Manager as their single point of contact for all queries and
updates. Over the past 16 years, we have managed critical business processes on our
clients’ behalf with a commitment to operational excellence, innovation and world-class
customer service.
Receive a one-stop solution & a single point of contact /05
Our one-stop
solution:
• Significantly reduces
the administration
burden of both routine
and remedial field
service tasks
• Ensures robust
scheduling of, and
access to, the
right resources
• Allows clients to retain
full control through a
simple validation and
approval process.
7. A large, globally networked organization can offer the backing
of more resources and more experience to streamline both
routine and remedial maintenance tasks.
Our due diligence and implementation processes have the benefit of being honed over
years, across multiple client industries. We understand the trends that are emerging in
field service and how to best manage the task as it stands today.
Our clients also receive the benefit of the additional corporate resources that come
with being part of a much larger global outsourcing organization. We can tap into the
expertise of legal personnel, as well as risk management, quality assurance and contract
administration resources.
When we identify efficiencies or process improvements that can lower costs, we act.
Lower costs through centralized specialist resources /07
Our field
service teams:
• Have extensive
experience in managing
end-to-end field
service programs
• Ensure process and
resource consistency
• Provide predictable
costs for budgeting.
9. Growth that is sustainable and profitable is what most
businesses are seeking. And, the opportunities for growth
in the medical device field are clear.
When we take on the end-to-end field service task for you, we come with the ability
to scale your program, regionally, nationally or globally. Strong, secure systems and
processes are part of how we do this, but so too is our access to the best talent
across the world.
Whether you are implementing a new program or shifting from a self-managed technical
field service team, we will work with you to establish a roadmap to help your organization
understand and adopt change.
The ability to scale at will /9
We bring to the table:
• The confidence
of working with a
financially stable partner
• Global reach and
networks in almost
every industry.
11. There is no ‘one size fits all’ in field service engineering solutions.
That’s why we customize our approach for each client.
We add or delete features based on customer requirements and design our client
programs from the ground up so that they are scalable and respond to changes in our
clients’ businesses. We deliver field service as a managed solution, therefore it can be
deployed for a one-off or an ongoing program of work.
We have the largest dedicated implementation team in our industry. We manage
successful implementations by clearly understanding our customers’ needs, challenges,
and requirements prior to designing the processes.
A customized solution that fits your business /11
We can provide:
• Customized reporting to
fit with your compliance
requirements
• The ability to interface
with any technology
you use
• An implementation plan
that suits your business
and delivers continuous
improvement and cost
savings plans.
13. Quality is at the core of all our operations.
Whether it is a recall for a medical device or regular maintenance, our clients rely on us
to deliver the best quality talent and services. We do this by establishing clear
deliverables in a collaborative way.
With our clients, we establish a well-defined scope of services with clear levels of
ownership and responsibilities, agreed-upon deliverables (SLA and KPIs) and
cost-saving objectives.
Quality that is measured by outcomes /13
Every managed
solution is contracted as
a multi-year program,
which delivers year-
over-year process
improvements and is
measured by:
• Lower cost of ownership
to the customer
• Quicker work outcome
delivery cycles
• Improved HR and
working capital
utilization.
15. The right people are still critical to the success of any field
service program, and we have the recruiting strength and
experience to find them.
Our Fortune 500®
business has been built on talent-sourcing excellence. We can ‘lift and
shift’ existing talent or we can find additional resources in the places you need them.
We deliver:
• Recruitment and retention of top-level engineering and technical field service talent
• Direct training for staff, or facilitation of training through your existing processes
• All related administrative processing from initial contract and onboarding through
to every day issues, such as employee travel expense management and the
administration of contractor benefits
• Project management, talent acquisition and management of talent regionally
or nationally
• Scheduling of the deployment of all engineering field services resources, including
travel coordination.
We will even issue, track and collect equipment, if necessary.
The best talent, when you need it /15
Our solution combines
disciplined operational
management with
core staffing expertise
to deliver increased
productivity and
reduced overall
costs for your field
service program.
16. /16
Case Study:
How one global medical device
manufacturer managed a major,
voluntary recall through outsourcing.
17. A global medical device manufacturer was a leader in specialty generic injectable
pharmaceuticals. Helping their clients to lower the costs associated with administering
injectable medications and improving patient outcomes remain key drivers of their
business success.
After a considerable period of strong growth and high performance, the client began
experiencing two significant issues:
1. Supply-chain delays regarding specific replacement components for their products
2. Declining pipeline of new engineering talent.
When faced with an FDA recall that affected some 300,000 pain-management pumps at
over 4,000 sites, the client looked to outsourcing to manage the recall and to maintain
the highest quality patient care.
/17
The story:
18. The recall program required specific hardware and software upgrades on medical
devices. The program was time sensitive and potential reputational impacts for
the client.
We established centralized, traveling teams to provide technical support wherever
the client needed. We provided LPNs and technicians as well as program managers,
project managers and field service engineers to manage remedial and ongoing
maintenance tasks.
At the outset of the program, Kelly was one of three suppliers. At the conclusion, of
phase two of the project, 100% of the work had been awarded to our team due to
consistent out-performance of our competitors.
/18
what we did:
19. The success of the recall program created efficiencies for the ongoing maintenance and
installation teams. The client now has the following:
• One centralized project management group to efficiently manage each task through
a single point of contact
• Reduced complexity of logistics for their remedial and ongoing maintenance tasks
• A strong partnership approach with shared accountability for outcomes
• The ability to attract and retain the right skill sets of individuals across
three countries
• Significant cost savings of around one-third per employee
• Better reporting leading to cost savings and efficiencies.
/19
the benefits:
20. EXIT
About the authors
Mike Dobbertin is Vice President, Centralized Operations Management (COM) with global
responsibility for service delivery of all STEM-related projects and engagements in the Global
Managed Solutions group of KellyOCG. Mike has worked for Kelly Services for over 26 years and
joined the Outsourcing & Consulting Group in May 2013. Mike is based in Western, NY and holds
a Bachelor of Science degree from the State University of New York at Fredonia.
Joe Lampinen is a Director in the Engineering Services Group with Kelly Services, serving as
a technical workforce strategist and solutionist, working with industrial clients to prepare scope
and plans for engineering engagements. He holds an interdisciplinary Bachelor’s degree from
Western Illinois University, a Graduate Certificate in Engineering Law and Management from
the University of Illinois at Chicago and is currently completing a Master of Science degree in
Technology at Purdue University. Mr. Lampinen is credentialed as a Certified Manufacturing Engineer (CMfgE),
Project Management Professional (PMP) and is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited
Professional (LEED AP).
About KellyOCG
KellyOCG®
is the Outsourcing and Consulting Group of workforce solutions provider Kelly Services, Inc. KellyOCG is a
global leader in innovative talent management solutions in the areas of Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), Business
Process Outsourcing (BPO), Contingent Workforce Outsourcing (CWO), including Independent Contractor Solutions,
Human Resources Consulting, Career Transition and Executive Coaching, and Executive Search.
KellyOCG was named in the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals®
2014 Global
Outsourcing 100®
list, an annual ranking of the world’s best outsourcing service providers and advisors.
Further information about KellyOCG may be found at kellyocg.com.
For more thought leadership go to talentproject.com