USPack Delivers Custom Final Mile Solution to an Oncology Lab’s Unique Request

Case Study

USPack Delivers Custom Final Mile Solution to an Oncology Lab’s Unique Request

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Overview

A New York-based oncology laboratory was struggling: it had no process to track, in real-time, the high volume of specimens coming in from a slew of local locations. The impact of not knowing how many and when blood and tissue samples were going to arrive wreaked havoc on the lab’s staffing — resulting in processing inefficiencies and excessive costs. The lab looked for a carrier with a solution that would both track and visually display inbound deliveries hour by hour so that they could appropriately staff.

After presenting their unique challenge to several vendors, USPack proposed a custom software solution featuring a dashboard that could be viewed on a large, centrally-placed screen in the lab. Named the Enterprise Schedule Planner (ESP), the monitor would show in graphic detail all routes in progress, the number of specimens, forecasted arrival times, and more. From conception
to implementation, ESP was up and running in just nine months, but the payoff was immediately clear: turbocharged efficiency, lower costs, and a better customer and staff experience.

In less than a year, USPack transformed the efficiency of this lab. This translates to significant cost savings, faster turnaround times for lab testing, and a vastly improved employee and customer experience.

Challenge

In a highly-regulated, expensive, and life-saving sector like healthcare, the stakes are high when it comes to logistics. But for this laboratory, the biggest pain point was optimizing the efficiency of the lab technicians and appropriately staffing for peaks and valleys in deliveries.

Inspired by the visual model that aircrafts use for tracking package shipments, the lab was determined to have a similar solution for tracking groundbased deliveries — one that could account for road conditions, weather, traffic, and more in forecasted arrival times. Although they had a concept in mind, their model software didn’t exist— yet.

Further complicating the solution, the software application needed to integrate with drivers’ handheld devices to display pick up and delivery routes, provide real-time updates, and track unexpected schedule changes. With multiple vehicles and drivers running routes concurrently, the data needed to be crisply organized and visually clear.

With deep experience with the healthcare sector, a robust in-house technology team of developers and database engineers, and seasoned business analysts, USPack went to work creating a bespoke technology solution.

Solution

Working in close collaboration with the lab’s leadership throughout the nine-month period, USPack’s team built the Enterprise Schedule Planner (ESP) from the ground up. The custom software covers all the bases for making sure the lab is kept up-to-date and can optimally manage its workload. ESP:

Displays a high-level overview of
Integrates with driver devices who input updates at every stop
Provides important details as deliveries get within a 4-hour window
Includes the number of specimens
Offers route updates in real-time according to traffic conditions, weather, etc
Uses color-coding to note route status
Communicates unexpected schedule changes for driver routes. For example, when an unplanned pick-up is added to a driver’s route, the additional time is reflected in their ETA

Equipped with this clear and comprehensive visualization, the lab is now better equipped to appropriately staff each day, advise employees on when to take their breaks, determine when to send staff home, and minimize paying overtime.

Results

In less than a year, USPack transformed the efficiency of this lab. This translates to significant cost savings, faster turnaround times for lab testing, and a vastly improved employee and customer experience.

While this was a custom request, ESP is a valuable tool that can be implemented in countless other labs managing high-volumes of specimens on a regular basis.

USPack is uniquely positioned to support labs and healthcare providers because of our innovative, client-first approach. Though most people think of last mile delivery as only vehicles and drivers, in today’s world, cutting edge technology is a must-have. USPack has exceptional in-house talent and resources to create custom software solutions, and to do it right the first time.

When timeliness, flexibility, and savings are essential to the health of your business, USPack delivers.