By Gregg Timmons

Managing transportation logistics throughout the health care industry is more than delivering a package from points A to B. Instead, it factors in several components which can severely impact an organization’s business and, ultimately, patient care. Health care delivery technicians are tasked with providing patients with the materials needed, as well as installation, and potentially teaching customers how to properly use the devices, all while reviewing and collecting signatures to meet compliance regulations. This leaves providers searching for the best solution to perfectly balance improving business efficiencies while not compromising patient care.

For years, the post-acute care industry has lagged behind other industries in adopting mobile delivery solutions, due to expensive, single-purpose handhelds and applications not tailored to their needs. From poor driver transparency to costly, overwhelming paper processes, regulatory compliance and reduced reimbursements, companies tend to struggle to maintain viability for their patients.



However, with the vast technological advances our world has made throughout the past several years, providers are finally beginning to realize the answer to this daily balancing act: leveraging mobile technologies for the last mile. Mobile logistics solutions use cloud-based software that can be deployed on any handheld device, including iOS and Android tablets and phones.

Since the hardware is inexpensive and widely used by the general population, there is little to no time and cost associated with training employees to learn the nuances of a new device. Additionally, with real-time updates, managers can oversee and streamline almost every aspect of the delivery process. While there are countless motives for providers to be catching on to and riding the wave of mobility, the five aspects outlined are reason enough to convince anyone managing transport logistics to, at the very least, consider switching to a mobile platform.

Driver visibility
Keeping up with delivery drivers and monitoring their daily progress can be a daunting task. Although the majority of current logistics solutions utilize GPS tracking, outdated software can provide inaccurate accounts of a technician’s whereabouts and the status of deliveries. This leaves managers having to trust that their drivers are truthfully optimizing and accounting for their time in the field each day.

However, by employing a mobile logistics solution, providers can experience complete transparency of their drivers’ location and productivity throughout the day. Real-time updates allow managers to view where a technician is, how long he has been there and what stage of the delivery process he is in. Aside from being able to monitor driver productivity, managers are also able to improve business efficiencies. The ability to supervise and manage technicians’ schedules can significantly reduce a company’s exposure to overtime hours. Additionally, they can also provide improved customer service by being able to adequately track and communicate with a driver and report back to inquisitive customers regarding the status of their delivery.

Route optimization
Route optimization is another notable benefit provided through mobility by increasing driver-to-manager communication, as well as improving field productivity. Traditionally, drivers were tasked with reviewing their daily delivery schedule, factoring in any special patient requests and plotting out the most optimal route. Now, with mobile logistics, the software automatically maps out the best route for the technician.

In addition, fulfilling a last minute, ad hoc order no longer requires a lengthy game of phone tag to find a driver who can fit the delivery into the route. Instead, with real-time updates and driver transparency, supervisors can easily schedule new deliveries and automatically update the driver’s route with little to no interruption to their process.

Paper reduction
The cumbersome paper processes associated with transport logistics can make one’s head spin just talking about it, much less experiencing it in action. Technicians have to keep track of an abundance of forms requiring multiple patient signatures at each stop, only to submit them to the billing department at the end of the day. Ideally, each sheet of paper is accounted for, every signature line has been signed and nothing is missing. However, due to simple human error, this is rarely the case.

A mobile logistics platform electronically stores all necessary forms in one easily accessible location, keeping technicians organized and ensuring nothing gets lost or forgotten by the end of the day. In addition, it also automatically submits all completed documents to the billing department as each delivery ticket is finalized and closed out throughout the day. With this type of automation, health care companies are able to cut back on administrative personnel and reduce the amount of write-offs experienced annually.

This paperless process also minimizes the amount of missing signatures, as patients are only required to sign one time and have their signature applied throughout the remainder of the document. Also, technicians are able to focus their attention on the needs of the patients and assisting them in setting up the equipment, as opposed to flipping through and worrying about completing an overwhelming amount of paperwork.

Inventory management
Tracking inventory is a crucial piece of any business, but for post-acute care organizations making daily deliveries, it can also be critical to patient care. Outdated paper-based systems can be unreliable and make monitoring what’s in stock difficult. However, mobile logistics software provides an accurate account of what’s on hand, allowing managers to properly oversee their inventory. Also, as drivers take off for delivery every morning, managers are able to monitor what products were taken out on each truck and determine which drivers are able to deliver ad hoc orders based on the vehicles’ inventory. The ability to quickly review and oversee inventory can save businesses money, time and stress. It can also improve patient care, as managers can quickly view the available equipment and fill last-minute orders without having to make the customer wait too long.

Maintaining compliance
Throughout the health care industry, one of the most important factors for companies to remain in business is maintaining compliance. Hundreds of regulatory processes are set in place to ensure health care professionals are providing proper patient care and practicing ethical recordkeeping. Organizations can easily decrease or lose their status of compliance due to vast amounts of missing or improperly executed paperwork from deliveries.

A mobile logistics platform provides drivers with a system of checks and balances to ensure they are taking all necessary steps to meet compliance standards. With all paperwork being stored electronically and automatically filed upon completion of each delivery, drivers are almost guaranteed not to overlook any compliance procedures. Additionally, since all records are filed electronically, in the event of an audit, providers do not have to dig through years of paperwork to locate any necessary documents.

Mobility is becoming the future of transport logistics and organizations currently using mobile platforms are experiencing benefits that their competitors aren’t, such as increased productivity levels, reduced overhead expenses and improved patient care. Providers that wait too long to adopt this technology potentially risk facing loss of business and other consequences as their competitors leave them in the dust.

The wave of mobility is swiftly causing transport logistics to evolve from a burdensome and costly experience to a user-friendly, manageable solution for current inefficiencies. The expense providers are saving by switching to a mobile platform that provides them freedom to invest in other areas of the business, such as research, product innovation and expanding their customer base.

About the author: Gregg Timmons, president and CEO of Apacheta Corporation, is a veteran software executive who has 30 years of experience building successful high-growth software businesses spanning Fortune 500 companies, startups and turnaround ventures.