"The biggest challenge we face is when our customers don't always have a good scope of work for us," says Knowles. "The best situation is to go to a site to survey to assess how the equipment will come out, what the path will be, decide if a crane is needed and other factors like that...so it helps us define the scope of work. We can give accurate pricing and we can make sure there are no surprises during the de-install."

Jon DeRoost, manager of Wash.-based Beacon International, recommends sending a checklist to the facility to better prepare prior to the job.


"We ask simple questions along the line regarding what type of security measures are in place, the parameters involved, the timeline and the general way out of the facility," he says. "It helps keep problems from popping up."

According to Brandon Garner of Utah-based BC Technical, Inc., which offers de-installation services related to molecular imaging, not everyone is aware of the specifics of the de-installation process.




"It's a challenge when we work with customers and facilities not familiar with the often complex and labor-intensive de-installation process. This unfamiliarity causes customers/facilities to be more apt to impose narrow timelines as well as making them less inclined to be accommodating with the de-installation of imaging equipment and the materials required for their de-installation," he says. "To hedge against this challenge, we communicate closely with customers and facilities to keep them apprised of each stage of the job and educate them as to the complexities of the process."

Knowles describes a perfect scenario of what should be waiting for them when they arrive: "The equipment has been decommissioned by the OEM, an individual quality test has been performed...it's ideal if we have images on X-ray or printer so we can demonstrate that the machine worked before we started disassembling it," he says. "It's ideal if people at the facility know what our schedule is for the de-install because the allocation of time and space on the loading dock is important."

De-installers need to be cautious. There are a lot of sensitive areas in a hospital that you have to be aware of, so logistics becomes a big part of the whole process.

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