By Assaf Melochna

Healthcare, and the technology and devices that power it, are evolving at breakneck speed, and the way we service that equipment needs to catch up. The 2025 Service Benchmark Report: Medical Device Edition highlights the pressing challenges and emerging strategies reshaping the industry. With increasing equipment complexity and a widening technician expertise gap, service organizations are under immense pressure to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and maximize equipment uptime.

The current landscape: Challenges in medical device servicing
The report underscores several critical issues plaguing medical device service operations:

● Inefficient Troubleshooting: High rates of repeat parts replacement indicate a lack of effective diagnostic processes, leading to inflated service costs and unnecessary downtime.

● Preventative Maintenance Shortcomings: Alarmingly, nearly 25% of assets require a follow-up service within three months of a preventative maintenance (PM) visit, suggesting that current PM strategies are insufficient.

● Extended Downtime: Bottom-performing companies experience a fivefold increase in resolution time compared to top performers, resulting in prolonged equipment unavailability.

These challenges not only strain operational resources but also impact patient care quality and institutional credibility.

Embracing the 'Shift Left' strategy
To address these issues, leading organizations are adopting the "Shift Left" strategy. This approach emphasizes resolving issues earlier in the service journey by equipping technicians with the necessary tools, information, and support at the outset.

Key components of the Shift Left strategy include:

● Enhanced Self-Service and Remote Support: Empowering users to address minor issues independently reduces the burden on service teams and accelerates problem resolution.

● Proactive Technician Enablement: Providing technicians with comprehensive resources and training ensures they can diagnose and fix problems accurately on the first visit.

● Data-Driven Insights: Leveraging data analytics to predict potential failures allows for timely interventions, minimizing unplanned downtime.

By shifting problem-solving closer to the initial point of contact, organizations can enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve overall service quality.

The role of AI in transforming service operations
AI is a key tool in revolutionizing medical device servicing. AI-driven platforms can analyze vast amounts of data to provide actionable insights, streamline troubleshooting, and predict equipment failures before they occur.

Benefits of integrating AI include:

● Improved first-time fix rates: AI can guide technicians through complex diagnostics, increasing the likelihood of resolving issues on the first attempt.

● Optimized preventative maintenance: Predictive analytics enable more effective scheduling of maintenance activities, reducing the incidence of unexpected breakdowns.

● Resource allocation: AI helps in prioritizing service requests based on urgency and impact, ensuring optimal use of technical resources.

The integration of AI not only enhances operational efficiency but also contributes to better patient outcomes by ensuring the reliability of medical devices.

Build vs. buy: Strategic considerations for AI implementation
Organizations face a critical decision in implementing AI solutions: developing proprietary systems or adopting existing platforms.

● Building in-house: While this offers customization, it often involves significant investment, longer development timelines, and ongoing maintenance challenges.

● Adopting existing solutions: Leveraging established AI platforms can accelerate deployment, reduce costs, and provide access to proven technologies with continuous updates.

The report suggests that, for many organizations, adopting ready-made AI solutions may offer a more efficient path to enhancing service operations.

A call to action for medical device service leaders
The message from the 2025 Service Benchmark Report couldn’t be clearer: the way we service medical devices needs to change — and fast. The pressure is mounting. Equipment is more complex, patients can’t wait, and service teams are stretched thin.

Now’s the time to act. By shifting left and leaning into AI, service leaders can stop playing catch-up and start getting ahead — solving issues earlier, reducing downtime, and keeping critical equipment running when it matters most.

This isn’t just about operational gains — it’s about making sure providers can deliver the care patients count on. In today’s fast-moving healthcare environment, those who wait risk falling behind.

About the author: Assaf Melochna’s experience incorporates strong leadership skills built upon a strong technical foundation. He is an expert in service, and has business and technical expertise in enterprise software. Assaf started Aquant with his co-founder Shahar with the vision of helping service companies transform the way they deliver service. Prior to starting Aquant, Assaf spent 10 years at ClickSoftware where he served in various positions in solution consulting and product innovation. Assaf brings a unique approach from his experience as a Major in the intelligence forces (IDF) where he specialized in turning massive data to knowledge, and knowledge to actions.