Monthly Archives: July 2011

A new Access and LaserBand alliance provides an exclusive all-in-one patient identification solution for hospitals that will boost patient safety with 2-D barcoded wristbands.

“The alliance between Access and LaserBand enables hospitals to intelligently map patient data and barcode information onto the best wristbands available,” said Access founder and CEO Tim Elliott. “When used alongside our electronic forms on demand product, this solution provides a one-stop shop for barcoded wristbands and e-forms that increase patient safety and support regulatory compliance.”

Read the full story.

By Ron Olsen

Product Specialist, Access

We have all spent our lives evaluating processes in our everyday life. We call it ‘running the numbers.’ When you buy a new car (or buy anything for that matter), when you choose a job, or any other financial matter in your life, you compare your list of numbers against various scenarios and in the end determine which one ‘wins.’ The ‘win’ turns out to be the deciding factor in a sometimes long and drawn out process. Sometimes the ‘win’ is not what you expected the outcome to be, but instead it may be the ‘least lost’ scenario.

In sports we determine a winner by a score; a quantifiable, usually non-debatable outcome that ensure a W or L in the win/loss column. I knew a coach once that determined which of his players would start on his volleyball college team based on a numerical formula that was undisputable. The girls knew exactly where they stood on the team based on a quantitative formula in practice each day.  No one on the team ever asked, “What is it I need to improve on to play in the next game?” as her numbers would tell her exactly where she stood.  The coach had numerous whiteboards around the gym, and as the team members ran their drills, the final step was to write their numbers for that particular drill on the whiteboards. That coach went on to win the 2005 NCAA National Championship for the second time in his career.  His win, again, was based on numbers.

No one can improve themselves or their team unless they have some way to measure the outcomes and then develop processes to improve on those measures. Quantifiable performance with accountability assigned to those measures should be required from all employees/managers.

Steps to evaluate and quantify your process:

1. Establish a baseline – determine what the average ‘number’ for a task/process
2. Establish tiers or steps that account for the different levels to be evaluated
3. Design surveys that clients can easily fill out and can provide statistical analysis of processes

Steps to evaluate your improvement:

1. Determine lowest acceptable level prior to re-evaluating current process/personnel
2. Determine  where to set baselines
3. Determine when/if a baseline should be reset
4. Determine when accolades should be given based on high performance

These steps should be put in place nearly everywhere you find a process. This helps to ensure a consistently superior process and a method of evaluating its effectiveness and having in place an improvement model.

By Tim Elliott

Founder and CEO, Access

Truisms are quick little quips that hold a ton of truth in a few words.

I worked with a colleague once who had previously been a consultant. He had this list of truisms that he always referred to. Everyone else around him eventually could quote his truisms from memory.

Over the years I have developed my own set of truisms. Most have come from my own experiences. They always require a lot of thought as to whether they go on my list or not. I am sure that if you have a set of truisms they are very different than mine. You probably hold yours up to more personal scrutiny than outside evaluation.

If you don’t have your own list I urge you create one, and to reevaluate each item every few years. These truisms are yours, so tell anyone who argues with your list that they can just go make their own. (That applies to your opinion of the list below, too!)

So here is my list:

1. Fill their minds with training or they will fill their mind with trouble.
2. Customers are never “always right” and neither am I.
3. Never assume anything!
4. Trust those that prove trustworthy.
5. Always do more than what is asked. Go the second mile. (Matthew 5:41)