FINDING FAVOR

During the month of March, RemTecH Associates will be launching a brand-new website. 

Since our launch date of June 2013, we have offered services to specifically address the many conflicts that arise during phasing design-development in the arena of Materials Management, Materials Handling, and Supply Chain Management. Working with Architectural Firms, Owners, and Management Groups within Healthcare, Commercial, and Industrial marketplaces, we analyze and develop alternatives to ensure you increase your sustainability. We have linked with more than 1,500 individuals throughout United States, Middle-East, and China; offering fresh ideas to solve existing concerns associated with Inventory Management. Inventory must be viewed an asset not simply an overhead liability; therefore, additional consideration is required during design phasing.

Our primary desire has always been to partner with each client served. That has never changed. As we look to this newer site we add several newer offers in addition to the concept of FAVOR.

FAVOR - as much as we put offers out, it is critical that we receive favor. That task requires two things (a) a fair offer that meets and or exceeds the need present, and (b) the desire for those receiving believe change is critical for their future growth.

Offer - we have offered several ways to meet your needs, both from the stand point of completing an assessment document to benchmark current conditions without cost. Second, offering specific insight to tomorrow's technological break through as to ensure sustainability once executed. Even with these offers and many others favor is your side of the fence to accept our suggested path forward.

RemTecH Associates is different than any other consulting firm that you have or have not used in the past. Our success is only possible when you have been giving enough information to turn your vision into reality. That is the main purpose of launching our newer site. 

We hope you feel the same and "together" we will accomplish the necessary steps to allow you to meet future demands.

John Hensman

President / CEO

RemTecH Associates LLC

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A HEALTHCARE CRISIS IN THE MAKING

Tomorrow Need Clear Thinking Today!

Our Health Care System is broken and we are fast approaching the "point of no return." 

To continue to operate with the mind-set “business as usual” or “we really cannot change the system, so why try” - our ability to meet future patient care needs will not succeed. 

According to recent studies, Chapter 11 filings have decreased by 53% nationwide since 2010. In healthcare, during that same window has increased by 305%. 

With operational costs continue to escalate (seemly unchecked in patient care, drugs, and other services) and no "government-driven-agenda" offered will repair it especially when they are one of the primary contributors and manage how others conduct business. 

First: Rural Hospitals, unlike large facilities, have certainly felt the impact of ACA based on increased closure rate.  Any offered solution will require “boots-on-the-ground” to develop reasoning that reflects true innovation. 64 million (rural) Americans depend on the small community hospital environment (25-100 beds) for their primary source in care. Since 2010, there has been some 1,800+ closures, forcing most to travel great distances for care. Staffing, technology, profit margins, burn-out, etc. has been noted as factors that started after ACA's launching. Larger facilities are not exempt, but certainly have the ability to adapt better by simply charging more to the patient.

Second: Best Practice, Lean Design, and Reduction of Carbon Footprint have been the norm in design-development for some time. Its effectiveness is different based on facility usage. We are not opposed to such norms, but such concepts have often become the acceptable standard based on those having the loudness of voice or having the most impressive title. Such norms, however, simply do not look at other critical areas that can reduce annual operational costs, thus continue to offer cookie-cutter-designs. In addition - limitations built-in to hospital budgets force Architectural firms to cut-corners just to be competitive; hence, supporting the need to further such practices as SOP. The best way to considered the affects of these norms is - look at how they interact within other industries. Health care has been very slow to accept advancements in technologies for controlling inventory levels. Questions must be asked and methodologies accepted that have had proven results. The best approach to include these norms into any given design is - attack the problem by stripping away all the assumptions, breaking problems down to their common points, and solve them as if for the time time (i.e. uniqueness approach). Analyze the conditions and not accept common pathways that may or may not add cost to a project. FRAM once stated: "Pay me now or pay me later." Renovations cost more after you go live then changing it on paper now. That is why these norms should be only guidelines, not mandates for acceptable design.   

Third: Inventory Management Levels has long been considered simply an "over-head costs;" therefore, the need for Asset Management Design considerations are not typically included in Pre-schematic Phasing or any phasing development. To understand the ramifications and long-term affects to your campus sustainability, proper consideration is required and or outside help needed through a consulting firm who wants to partner with you. Based on inadequately designed Inventory Asset Design Policies, many facilities experience an annual lost in revenue around 30-40%. Such lost contributes to hospitals ineffectiveness to meet patient needs, patient satisfaction levels, and a wide-range of other conditions (i.e. Inability to become a Profit Center, JIT-PAR Inventory Levels, GPO Controls, Cost to Purchase Critical Items, Inaccuracies in Inventory, Lost to Outdated Usage; not to mention Staffing issues associated with increased operating stress and burnout). The success of your facility hinges on inventory control management design-development.

Fourth: To achieve True Transformation Change, you need to first look beyond budget constraints to design our facilities; looking at true inventory needs from an asset perspective, not just an overhead. From software, to the selection of equipment, and space programming, to the mismatch placement of departmental locations all contribute to poor growth potential (building it right the first time). Simply – new facility designs or renovations merely copy previous acceptable ideas, which will not support true sustainability. Without addressing these critical needs, especially in a rural health care setting, many will die do to the lack of proper care and health care as we know it will fail. 

Fifth: Hospitals represent the very underpinning of our society; therefore, they need to lead the charge verses being forced to follow the norm. Unanswered questions today will predict the future you have tomorrow! Change must begin and it must begin today.

Summary: We who serve health care must design each facility based on their unique needs. Creative innovations are not the enemy (thinking-outside-the-box), but to sit still and accept the norms will not change tomorrow's results. Those who work daily to make us healthier must ask the questions to get the right answers. Our job is to offer the right answers, but partnering (team work) will achieve a better and brighter tomorrow.

Albert Einstein suggests - "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." 

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THE BIG QUESTION

Many facilities today have a number of major questions that go unanswered. They ask different organizations to help but only receive lip-service and corporate jargon that adds to their confusion about the direction to take.

RemTecH Associates LLC is different than those who believe they are serving the industry; we freely share answers that are important to you. 

Over the next few months, we will freely offer advice to any questions that you may have without strings and certainly without conditions. Our only desire is to answer your problems and offer logical / executable tasks in hope of partnering with you through our suggested exercise. 

Call us and let us prove to you that we want to be there to assist you to achieve your goals. Vision is only transformed into Reality when those involved want to help. 

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A NEW APPROACH - 2019 and BEYOND

RemTecH Associates has always looked for new ways to advance our services. 

We are currently in the process of redesigning a NEW WEBSITE that will be launching in the next few months. The primary purpose of our new site is to address the many technologies currently offered in today's marketplace, to determine if they will effectively meet future demands. Some technologies will not make the cut; yet others will require some additional modifications to ensure they will grow accordingly as demands increase. 

Our approach will be bold and out spoken to some; one that will look at many unanswered questions associated with Inventory Asset Management Design Development and what it will take to decrease operational costs, but at the same time increase efficiencies. Certainly many subjects will not sit well with certain companies; for it will question their motives for meeting market needs against design hindering limitations of your budgets.

Our approach will also require input from you. We want to first listen to your needs and then suggest some unique alternatives that can make a difference. Feedback will be critical to our efforts; therefore, we are offering a free survive that will start a process for meeting your future challenges.

IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO BEGIN TO CHANGE YOUR DIRECTIONAL APPROACH

TOWARDS SUCCESS, BUT YOUR JOURNEY MUST BEGIN NOW 

LET OUR JOURNEY BEGIN TOGETHER!

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SCOPE OF SERVICES - RemTecH Associates LLC

Scope of Services:

Design Analysis:

1.      Master Planning to ensure "design meets functional requirements" that decreases costs

2.      Sustainability Review for Future Growth Potential

3.      Tactical / Contingent / Strategic Planning

4.      Functional and Space Programming / Departmental Cohesion

5.      Functional Bid Specifications for Equipment and Software

6.      Vertical / Horizontal Transportation Studies based on Inventory Turns to justify movement capacities

7.      Performance Reporting on Existing Functions for Benchmarking

8.      Process Improvement Recommendations

9.      Historical Analysis for Existing Operations as comparison for new construction requirements

10.  Labor / Manpower Analysis for FTEs justifications against Automation Material Handling Concepts

11.  Acquisition Assistance Review for Capital Equipment / Equipment Life Cycle Cost Analysis

12.  Equipment Design Planning / Schematic / Design / Construction Phases (not limited to)

a.       Pneumatic Tube Systems (PTS)

b.      Automated Guided Vehicle Systems (AGVS)

c.       Electric Tracked Vehicle Systems (ETVS)

d.      Selective Vertical Conveyors Systems (SVCS)

e.       Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS)

f.       Assorted Trucks (Riders / Order Pickers / Reach / etc.)  / Tugs Vehicles / Carts

g.      Assorted Rack Configurations and Storage Configurations (Pushback / Pallet Racks / Cantilever Racks / Double Deep / Mezzanines / Vertical and Horizontal Carousel / Storage Bins / Platforms / Storage Cabinets (Explosive and non-Explosive) / Selective Pallet Rack / Pallet Flow Rack / Drive-Through / Modular Storage Rack (SpaceSaver) / etc.)

h.      Conveyor System Configurations (Power / Gravity / Sortation Systems)

i.        Vacuum and Gravity Chutes Configuration

j.        WMS Software / RFID / Bar Code Configuration (review / recommendations)

k.      Space Justifications / Cost Comparisons / Electrical and Structural Documentation

13.  Load Dock / Yard / Traffic Management Studies

a.       All dock services to support inbound and outbound shipments

b.      Parking and Operational Movement of Vehicle Modeling (non-simulation)

c.       Traffic Management to achieve EDI Scheduling

14.  Supply Chain / Logistics / Transportation Analysis

a.       Procurement Review for JIT / FIFO / LIFO

b.      Inventory Tracking Procedures / Best Practices

c.       National and International Shipping Review / Recommendation

15.  Inventory Control Management through external WMS Software

16.  Storage and Distribution Design for receiving / breakdown / storage / distribution of inventory

17.  Waste Management Analysis / Bio-Hazardous Management[1] / Equipment

18.  Clean and Soiled Linen Management

19.  Pharmacy and Laboratory Design Automation

Areas Served (but not limited to):

1.      New Construction Design

a.       Healthcare / Clinics / Medical Arts / Medical Facilities

b.      Pharmacy / Laboratory / Central Sterile Supply / Central Supply Loading Dock

c.       Commercial / non-Commercial Facilities

d.      Industrial Facilities / Warehouses

2.      Renovation / Modernization / Improvement Analysis Review

a.       Healthcare / Clinics / Medical Arts / Medical Facilities

b.      Pharmacy / Laboratory / Central Sterile Supply / Central Supply / Loading Dock

c.       Commercial / non-Commercial Facilities

d.      Industrial Facilities / Warehouses

Standard Phasing Breakdown:

1.      Conceptual Design

2.      Schematic Design

3.      Design Development

4.      Construction Documents

5.      Bid Assistance / Code Compliance

6.      Construction Services / Contract Bid Review

7.      User Training Management through Vendor Development

8.      Warranty / Contract Close Out

[1] RemTecH Associates LLC maintains a Certificate of Training in CRF 49 - ICAO (IATA) - IMO, which qualifies them to manage / recommend design-development within Waste and Bio-Hazardous Managements (Certification Dated: 23-Aug-2013).

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Warehousing -- TOMORROW BEGINS NOW!

BETTER WAREHOUSING - INVENTORY MANAGEMENT DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

Simple definitions"

A warehouse is a planned space for the storage and handling of goods and materials

Warehouse design is so much more that just deciding what to put where. Knowing which items are fast or slow moving, and which are frequently used in combination with others, will allow you to design a facility layout that will meet future demands and or give you the best space optimization per dollar spent.

The approach needed to design a warehouse is similar no matter what the type of inventory controlled (hospital, commercial, industrial).

LOCAL / GLOBAL WAREHOUSING considerations. The local warehouse is typically a space on-site and can be considered a forward-pick location for replenishment in individual areas throughout the facility. Typically a local warehouse has limited space; just enough inventory for 2-4 days. The global warehouse is considered more of a storage (bulk receiving / sortation) location. The global warehouse can offer a means of replenishing the local warehouse. Similar in nature, they both have commonality. 

There are five key principles to good inventory warehouse management. Each of these five items are interconnected; meaning the failure of one will damage the accuracy of another.

1. Develop an effective demand forecast policy
2. Determine the best warehouse flow first before going into design development phasing
3. Place inventory within equipment based on turns (rotation of stock)
4. Do cycle counting based on inventory that turns, not those that move slow
5. Complete a process "annual" auditing to determine accuracy

DEMAND FORECASTING:

Accurate demand forecasting has the highest potential savings to limit an overstock condition. Carrying costs will hurt your facility's profits; therefore, correct forecasting will allow for the right amount of inventory to meet daily, quarterly, and annual demands.

WAREHOUSE FLOW:

The oldest concept within any warehouse design is placement of inventory in the correct spot. Sorting, setting orders, systemic cleaning, standardizing, and sustainability to move materials through your facility logically will reduce manpower and increase savings in operations.

INVENTORY TURNS:

An ABC Analysis should be key to determine the correct turns. A's typically move 80% of the time; where B's move 20%, and C's are considered long-term storage or overages. Once developed, you need to review at least once a year as to stock rotation (many times demands will change where the stock is stored and a revised ABC will be needed). Carrying costs for most companies is around 3%, but can be modified based on the type of inventory. 

CYCLE COUNTING:

When stock is considered a slow mover, you only need to count annually for accuracy. Faster moving inventory need to be reviewed monthly to check levels. Max/Mins are to be set for faster moving inventory to ensure and or reduce "stock-outages." Cycle Counting also is very handy to determine if your inventory has found it's way into someone pocket.

PROCESS AUDITING:

Auditing is a function that is typically completed at the end of a year to determine both carrying costs and accuracy of available stock (replenishment needs). Cycle Counting is a proactive task and process auditing is a means of identifying problems areas. The cornerstone principle of inventory management is to audit early and often if required to ensure protection again lost; especially in high dollar volumes.

Only through great design development during design phasing can you achieve success. Allow us to work as a partner to ensure your success. Flow management is JOB-ONE.

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Changing Your Approach

"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, 

nor the most intelligent.

It is the one that is the most adaptable to change."

(Charles Darwin)

I am not a strong opponent of anything Charles Darwin offers or even suggests, but this concept - "being adaptable to change" makes sense when it comes to how we serve others.

Healthcare is in trouble, but it isn't the system that needs to change as much as the approach of those who design the policies. Gone are the days when statements like: "Well, if it is not broke, don't fix it," or "This is how we always did it." Such ideas will not allow any group, facility, or management to move forward towards the acceptance of new ideas. We need to try a different approach if we are to survive what is just over the horizon.

Tony Robbins (author, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and life coach) is known for his infomercials, seminars, and self-help books. He made a statement that seems to fit today's conditions: "Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach." Bruce Lee (Martial Artist and Movie Star) states: "Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own." It is all about adaptability and striving to move forward to the next level.

The sooner we figure out that something is not working, the sooner we can look for new answers, but the right attitude must be first developed.

1. Strive to offer what is best for everyone when concerning change
2. Absorb all information and weigh it based on logic and adaptability as to not cause additional disruption
3. Keep an open mind; there may be a better alternative.
4. Always aim past the target; setting goals remain critical, but must never be the limiting factor - live with passion - raise your standards and remain flexible
5. Focus on the real problem when working on solutions.
6. Gather together qualified staff for input
7. Know the bottom-line and learn how to get faster results
8. Make things happen to solve problems more effectively
9. Be resourceful and learn from your past mistakes - test all conclusions against current policies and future possibilities
10. Adapt with the flow and always strive for change

Change is required - are you ready and will you accept it?

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