AZ Jan Palfijn chooses Intelligent asset management

PHI DATA implemented a barcode scanning system for the marking, inventorying and tracking of unique objects using barcodes at AZ Jan Palfijn in Ghent. This solution includes hardware, labels and licences, as well as the implementation and linking with the existing asset management system.

Asset inventory

The technical department and the infrastructure department of AZ Jan Palfijn were looking for a solution that would allow making a periodical inventory of all assets in the entire hospital. These “assets” include medical equipment as well as tables, chairs and other moveable furniture. The aim is to make the rounds in the hospital once or several times a year, to check which objects are in which rooms. The solution would also have to be able to communicate with the current asset management system.

To get a clear overview of the location of the moveable objects and devices within the hospital, this past year the AZ Jan Palfijn introduced an asset management system (Rimses), in which all objects can be itemised. In that system, the name, purchase date and the location are entered in this system, together with all the technical details. However, this system is not capable of conducting periodic checks. To perform such checks, a solution of PHI DATA is used. The Wemmel specialist in Auto-ID solutions proposed a solution which would make use of hand-held scanners for the registration of assets and the software package IDAsset to link the information to the existing asset management system.

How does it work?

Hein Reynaert explains how the registration and inventory work: “All assets which must be itemised, receive a sticker with an object number and barcode. This way we immediately know which devices were itemised, and which weren’t. These labels are supplied by PHI DATA and read with a barcode reader. The technical staff from the infrastructure department have two hand-held scanners do to so, which are linked to the Wi-Fi network and can be used to scan objects in all the rooms. These hand-held scanners operate using an Android IT system, which includes the IDAsset application of PHI DATA.”

In practice this means the employees first scan the barcode of the room they want to make an inventory of, as every room has its own unique number. Once that has been done, they will see on their screen which devices are supposed to be there. Then they can begin to scan the barcodes of all the objects present in the room. As soon as they have completed their check, the screen provides an overview of the missing devices, and which devices have been scanned too many times compared to the last time. The employee conducting the scan sends the information with the inventory via Wi-Fi to the existing asset management system. There, all fields are updated with the new information. Next, PHI DATA’s software, IDAsset, makes the link between the room numbers and the object numbers.

Easy and user-friendly

“Since we’ve started to use the scanners, our work has become a lot easier. The user-friendliness has made carrying out the periodical inventory very easy. Where before we had less control over the precise location of devices and furniture, we can now immediately see when something is missing”, Hein Reynaert explains.

The collaboration with PHI DATA has been very positive. “PHI DATA immediately understood what our wishes and needs were. Both for the technical aspects and the execution of the project, we have no complaints: everything went very smoothly. Besides the employees of PHI DATA itself, their solution was also very flexible. All settings and adjustments to make communication possible with our Rimses asset management system were carried out for IDAsset. From our side, no adjustments have been necessary. We hope that soon all assets in the hospital can be provided with barcode labels, so that the system can be used in the entire hospital.”

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