Omnicell and Cybernet:
Partners in Reliability for Anesthesia Workstations
Omnicell and Cybernet worked together to find a customized all-in-one computer solution with improved reliability for Omnicell’s Anesthesia Workstations used by their hospital customers. This resulted in fewer returns and reduced costs for Omnicell and their customers. The two companies continue to work together on other product lines that require high-reliability all-in-one computers.
The Customer
Omnicell provides automated solutions for medication and supply management to hospitals and medical facilities worldwide. One of their product lines includes an Anesthesia Workstation, which consists of Omnicell’s unique software, an all in one PC, and a mobile cart. This workstation system is used by doctors, nurses and hospital technicians to dispense and administer anesthesia quickly and in real-time.
The Business Challenge
Reliability of these Anesthesia Workstation systems is of utmost importance because they must be available 24/7 and ready for use. Hospitals keep an inventory of PCs for these systems on hand in case they need to be changed out quickly. If the PCs in Omnicell’s units are found defective as they are being deployed, hospitals will return them to Omnicell to be swapped for working units. For more than 10 years, Omnicell had been using a single supplier, TechVision, for the all-in-one PCs that were integrated into their systems. Over the last couple of years, Omnicell started receiving an increased number of returns due to defective TechVision PCs. Omnicell needed to find an all in one PC with better reliability to meet the demands of their hospital customers, and also to reduce the amount of time and costs associated with processing returns and replacing the PCs in their units.
The Cybernet Solution
After researching suppliers and contacting Cybernet, an Omnicell representative requested a Cybernet
iOne-GX31 all in one PC for testing. This unit certainly met the all-in-one space-saving requirement, and the 17” size was the right fit for their Anesthesia Workstation. The Omnicell representative believed that Core 2 Duo processors were necessary for improved reliability, along with a custom thermal solution that would effectively cool the processors because the anesthesia workstations are often placed in confined spaces. Omnicell tested the unit and the
iOne-GX31 met all their requirements for performance, cooling, and reliability. Cybernet’s
iOne-GX31 demonstrated that it could meet the demands of a 24/7 hospital environment.
When Omnicell first contacted Cybernet, they had high expectations for customer service. Along with testing Cybernet’s products and technology, they also wanted to see how the company would measure up regarding sales and tech support. The Omnicell representative believed that with customer service, you have to gain the trust that your account rep will be there when you need them, and that the company will be there to support you after the sale. In those areas, Omnicell says that Cybernet delivered and continues to do so.
Key Results
The superior reliability of Cybernet’s
iOne-GX31 has made a tremendous difference. Returns have been reduced: only 14 returns out of 1582 units shipped, a ratio of 0.008. This in turn has reduced the time and costs of processing returns for both Omnicell and their hospital customers. Omnicell’s customers can rest assured that they will have reliable all-in-one PCs ready to deploy whenever they are needed. Because of the superior reliability of Cybernet’s products and their personalized customer service, Cybernet has now become Omnicell’s exclusive supplier for all-in-one PCs.
