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John W. Mitchell, Senior Correspondent | June 04, 2018
From the June 2018 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
In the end, to BC Technical’s credit, the job was successfully completed on the expedited schedule.
Working as an ambassador to the OEM
There are few, if any, medical equipment installation jobs more costly or involved than that of a proton therapy cyclotron. When the Emory Proton Therapy Center in Atlanta was preparing to take on this multimillion-dollar endeavor, the city considered it a major investment. Both the governor and the mayor were among the dignitaries on hand to watch the two-hour installation process.
The job was conducted by Remetronix, a leading installation company that primarily partners with equipment manufacturers. "The OEMs are governed by a lot of regulatory responsibility, and that's how we operate too," said Russ Knowles, company CEO and owner.
Over his 26 years with the company, Knowles says he has been involved in about 40,000 jobs. While OEMs have high standards for contractors such as his company, he said his workload is very predictable and most projects only require three weeks of notice.
According to Knowles, the Atlanta proton job, like most of their projects, went off without a hitch.
He credits his success record, in part, to a detailed 40-point project management tool. He also relies on interpersonal skills and aptitude testing to screen potential new-hires for vital customer service skills. In addition, Remetronix spends about half a million dollars a year on safety, training and other certifications to meet 20 OEM standards.
“This business is a lot more than turning a wrench,” he explained. “In the Atlanta projects, my staff was onsite for up to seven months, sometimes working 10 hours a day. The crew needs to have good customer service skills, to know what to say and what not to say. They are acting as an ambassador for the OEM.”
For Cam Thomson, project manager with Oxford Instruments, quality installs and deinstalls boil down to a few key factors: open and clear communications, assigning specific tasks and responsibilities, schedule enough time and insist on excellent preplanning.
