Customer story: HealthLinc Medical Equipment

The problem

When one of British Columbia’s health authorities or hospitals contacts HealthLinc about ordering medical equipment, the request is usually demand-based and time-sensitive. This means that quick turnaround is a key factor for HealthLinc’s success.

Unfortunately, providing quick responses was becoming increasingly difficult while using paper-based systems. President of operations Cameron Fleming knew that tracking rental equipment on paper wasn’t a scalable solution, given the growing demand for HealthLinc’s services. His team was also receiving handwritten equipment orders via fax, leaving ample room for illegible requests and increasing the amount of time required to input each order.

Finally, misinterpreted client information was slowing down the HealthLinc technicians, who are responsible for delivering and servicing rental equipment. As a result, this decreased the number of customers HealthLinc could get to on any given day.

Recognizing the need for a modern equipment tracking, order processing, and customer management system, Cameron sought out a flexible, web-based solution that could increase operational efficiency for both in-house and on-the-road staff.

The solution

Acting on the advice of his IT staff, Cameron chose to work with Method CRM and rolled out the software to the entire HealthLinc team. Today, the company provides quotes, creates work orders, sends invoices, and schedules a team of technicians all within Method.

“It’s really the lifeline of everything that happens in the company,” Cameron explained. With increasing operational efficiency at the top of his mind, Cameron was also excited by Method’s integration with QuickBooks.

“Having Method communicate with our accounting software means that there’s just an easy flow — we execute our orders and then magically they translate into our accounting system.”

Cameron especially likes the adaptability and customization possibilities offered by Method CRM. With the help of a dedicated Business Solutions Specialist, Cameron created a customized customer portal, which acts as an online form for hospitals and therapists to order equipment, thus replacing handwritten faxed requisitions.

“So far, my Business Solutions Specialist has been able to accommodate any request I’ve thrown at him. We’re killing multiple birds with one stone through this point-and-click customer portal. It’s huge for both sides — it’s a win-win.”

The project is the first of its kind in Cameron’s industry, reducing administrative work for his staff and improving the purchasing experience for his customers.

“The therapist logs into the portal, selects the required equipment, clicks submit and all of the information is captured in Method CRM and queued for confirmation. The therapist receives a copy of the order, and can view all past and outstanding orders for multiple patients on their dashboard — instead of having 18 folders the therapist now has a single portal screen. And because the customer portal timestamps every submitted order, I can track order completion timeframes, and identify where further improvements can be made in the process.”

“It’s really the lifeline of everything that happens in the company.”

— Cameron Fleming, President of Operations

Business benefits

Prior to implementing Method, HealthLinc struggled through an ineffective order process that involved rifling through files for proper pricing, calculating values, and applying discounts. Working within Method has allowed the HealthLinc team to tighten up their internal processes, which has had a positive ripple effect throughout all areas of their business.

“We’ve cut down each order by 20-30% of the time it used to take, so we’re actually able to process so much more on any given day and get that much more business,” Cameron reflected.

Having their Method CRM account sync with QuickBooks also means that their processes have been simplified for accounting staff.

“Generating the required data has been cut down by two-thirds and retrieving data has become easier for our accounting team. Instead of having someone managing all the paper-based systems, we’ve been able to manage accounting with a team of one or two. Method has allowed us to grow without additional manpower and we can judge our staffing needs based on looking at what happened on this day last year within Method.”

Method CRM has improved speed of service and accuracy for the company’s mobile technicians. Since the team can now effectively track rental equipment and schedule service requests, HeathLinc technicians find their daily schedule and list of required equipment ready to go when they arrive each morning.

This more organized scheduling system, combined with the technicians’ mobile access to customer information, has resulted in speedier deliveries and happier customers.

Cameron summarized: “Having a cloud-based CRM is critical for our business — when serving hospitals, hours do count. And because we are now able to execute orders or contact therapists on the road, we can get to people that much quicker.”