Even today I can still remember the first time I ate prepackaged yogurt. It was supposed to be strawberry flavored. Sweet strawberries, with sugary jam mixed in with plain yogurt to produce a tasty treat. At least that was my expectation. I was a teenager and watching those wonderful commercials on TV about how great these new yogurt snacks tasted. So when dad said he was going out to get treats, I knew right away I wanted yogurt! He was skeptical, and rightfully so. It was new, and not the normal request of a teenage boy. So, I begged until he relented. I could hardly wait for him to get back.
When he returned and handed me my treat, I carefully pulled off the tin foil top and scooped out a spoonful of yogurt. Yuck! It was awful! I begged for it so I couldn’t say anything. Slowly to minimize the taste, tiny bite by tiny bite, I continued to eat it until I got to the bottom where I finally discovered the strawberries and jam. I couldn’t believe it. I missed the whole point. I was supposed to stir everything up to get the best experience out of the yogurt but out of ignorance and the fear of being embarrassed, I kept eating plain yogurt. I had chosen to live with something I didn’t like.
In the world of Real Time Locating Systems (RTLS), I have repeatedly heard a very similar story. Hospitals purchase a system, have it installed and are excited about its capabilities. There is a system champion that understands how it operates and manages it. But at some point, the system no longer works.
- Did the champion leave and not get replaced?
- Did the system never live up to expectations?
In other words, it left a “bad taste” in everyone’s mouth. When visiting hospitals, I will often ask if they have an RTLS system, and they respond with a shrug of the shoulders, or a heartfelt comment that nobody knows who is in charge of it anymore.
Yogurt has changed a lot over the years. You no longer must stir everything up to enjoy the tasty treat you expect to get. The same is true about the world of RTLS. You don’t have to continue to live with a system you don’t like, or even worse, choose not to use it.
Convergint-IMS is an RTLS integrator. Not only do we help hospitals make wise decisions on installing and using new RTLS systems but, we can also assist hospitals to understand and use their current system properly. Sometimes, it's just a matter of education, consultation, and working together. We even offer support options to assist hospitals that may not have the resources needed to keep a system running optimally. Often we are able to introduce new use cases to by using existing infrastructure and resources. Simply stated, Convergint-IMS can help you find the strawberries and jam at the bottom of the cup!
