Dräger Flow Sheets

by Kurt Rodenhizer, MS, MBA

Dräger Medical provides hospitals with medical systems designed to optimize clinical processes. The company uses “flow sheets” to provide their sales force with part numbers and order information. The flow sheets help Dräger sales reps understand the complex configuration requirements for over 900 parts.

Dräger sales reps use flow sheets as shown above to follow system configuration guidelines

Challenges:
The flow sheets were difficult to edit. Since changes in part numbers occurred frequently, flow sheet management required a full-time outside specialist. Dräger wanted to bring flow sheet management in-house, and they needed to do it quickly. The company had just embarked on a joint venture with Siemens that made Dräger responsible for a new line of monitors and as a result, numerous part configurations had changed. There were nine separate flow sheets that needed to be updated so the sales force could create accurate order configurations for their patient monitoring systems.

Diagnosis:
Dräger needed one place to house all product information that would be easily accessible to a number of people working in different parts of the office. They also wanted a solution that would work well with Visio, a software program the company had recently begun to use and support. Finally, Dräger needed a solution that they would be able to support and troubleshoot in-house.

Solutions

Consolidation of data:
ePD developed an Access database to hold all product information. The database was placed on the company network, making it accessible to different people throughout the company.

A customized data entry form was created to assist in data entry and the master database was placed
in a network folder so that multiple people could use the same information.

Automatic updates of data:
ePD then created an automated process for updating the product information in the Access database with up-to-date information from the company’s SAP system.

Linking Visio to the master database:
The next step was to link Visio flow sheet templates to the Access database allowing the Visio drawings to be automatically populated with data (similar to a mail merge).

All the text used in the flow sheets comes from the database, eliminating re-typing.

Inserting images and order quantity boxes:
Finally, ePD developed programming codes that would integrate all product images and order quantity boxes into the database

Placement of all images and order quantity boxes are done automatically

Training the staff on the new software:
ePD conducted an in-house training for all staff members who need access to product information.

Results:
1. All nine flow sheets were submitted for final review in eight weeks, 50% less time than previously required to generate the flow sheets.
2. All of the order management staff and product managers are now using one database to add, remove and edit part numbers and part descriptions.
3. Since one centralized database has replaced four separate databases, naming protocol for the parts has been streamlined (for example: SW Option, Delta SW Option or Option, SW).
4. Dräger staff has produced three additional flow sheets in-house.
5. Dräger is now using the master database to automatically generate an online and offline product catalog. The system also allows the order management system to be presented online and to generate automatic customer quotes. (click here for demo)

Customer Quotations:
“ePD helped us overcome significant obstructions in organizing our data. They helped us save an estimated two months of work and helped us reach our goals. At the time, we did not have the database and Visio skills needed to complete the project, but we are now able to quickly create new order configurations and upgrade flow sheets in-house.”
-Anders Brograde, Product Manager, Dräger Medical Systems

“ePD was excellent to work with. They understood our needs, and provided us with a product that was done right and done well. They had the expertise to ensure the project met our immediate objectives and the foresight to point how we can use the data for other projects. Money well spent, and time well saved.”
-Dina LaTulippe, Senior Product Manager, Dräger Medical Systems.