Collaboration and trust are vital for driving progress in the rapidly evolving landscape of healthcare technology. It is a complex field that includes the development of critical tools and systems and requires the collective expertise of various stakeholders to tackle intricate challenges, share innovative ideas, and collectively drive advancements in patient care. When a leading healthcare technology company needed a dedicated partner to help ensure the accuracy, reliability, and performance of its sensitive Hospital Patient.

Monitoring (HPM) solutions, the company reached out to the dedicated test and measurement equipment experts at Tektronix.

Tested Support for Critical Equipment

The HPM group is a prominent division within this leading healthcare technology company that focuses on developing and delivering advanced respiratory monitoring solutions designed to enhance patient care in hospital settings. These devices play a critical role in monitoring patients’ vital signs, detecting abnormalities, and providing crucial information for clinical decision-making. The HPM’s manufacturing and quality control campus houses over 10,000 pieces of electronic and mechanical test and measurement equipment across the facility.

With a fleet this large, calibration service solutions play a pivotal role in ensuring the optimal performance of each piece of equipment. The HPM team didn’t have access to sufficient testing and calibration tools, or enough dedicated technicians to keep up with the tight calibration schedule, so they turned to Tektronix to provide regular and emergency calibration, repair, and asset management services.

A Partnership Built on Trust

When companies are dealing with highly sensitive and specialized equipment and patient care is on the line, real and tested relationships with outside partners are paramount. The HPM team needed consistent, ongoing, personalized support and both companies understood from the start that the relationship would extend beyond the conventional client-supplier dynamic. Given the demanding production schedule and large number of different test and measurement devices at the HPM facility, Tektronix created a tailored calibration service solution, with dedicated employees working full time onsite in addition to the standard offsite service at the local Tektronix calibration lab and support from Tektronix network labs around the country.

At the permanent onsite testing lab, Tektronix employees work closely with HPM technicians to manage their equipment calibration on a carefully timed schedule. The Tektronix team engages in daily and weekly internal planning meetings to determine which equipment needs calibration, and when, considering various factors including equipment cost, production schedules, and offsite turnaround time.

At the same time, dedicated Tektronix equipment handlers arrive weekly to pick up all equipment predetermined for calibration at the offsite Tektronix lab. They return them to the team, ready for use, after calibration and simultaneously pick up the next batch of equipment, ensuring a continuous cycle of calibration and maintenance. This well-organized and consistent process between permanent onsite and offsite calibration services allows the HPM team to effectively manage its calibration needs, maintain the accuracy and reliability of its equipment, and keep manufacturing operations running smoothly.

"A successful partnership requires a strong foundation of effective communication and mutual understanding, and it’s this core principle that has helped build our relationship with Tektronix over the years," said HPM’s group calibration manager. "The Tektronix team has shown sincere interest in our company, our products, and our goals from the very beginning, and their technicians consistently go above and beyond to meet our objectives."

This leading healthcare technology company also understands that even with the best possible forecasting, machines still break; and when they do, time is of the essence. Depending on the piece of equipment and its value in the production line, the company might have a backup, but when it is the only one of its kind and needs to be repaired quickly, they look to the Tektronix team to get the equipment running and back to the facility as soon as possible.

“Dealing with broken machines and long repairs can be a frustrating and time-consuming experience for the client,” said Michael Rivera, Director of Operations Multi-Brand Calibration at Tektronix. “But, when handled correctly, it is also another area where timely, transparent, and straightforward communication can help build deep and lasting trust between Tektronix and our partners.”

"When multiple things go wrong at once and production is down, the honest communication we have built with the Tektronix team over the years helps us come together and address issues as a team,” said HPM’s group calibration manager. "Their onsite technicians are prompt and transparent in their feedback, take ownership when it’s warranted, and guide us in prioritizing urgent matters while ensuring that our overall requirements are met. This level of integrity and responsiveness has definitely helped cement our confidence and trust in their services."

A Shared Vision of Success

Beyond the contractual and logistical aspects that come with any partnership, the synergy, dedication, and shared vision between these two industry leaders have gone a long way in driving the team’s joint success. The partnership between this leading healthcare technology company and Tektronix exemplifies the transformative power of collaboration, trust, and effective communication in the realm of healthcare. By harnessing the expertise and knowledge of the Tektronix Service Solutions Organization and utilizing tailored, consistent, and accurate calibration services, this leading healthcare technology company has continued to fortify its Hospital Patient Monitoring solutions, ensuring unrivaled accuracy, reliability, and, ultimately, enhanced patient care.

Learn more about the Tektronix Service Solutions Organization and how its experts might partner with your team.